Lies
by Leviticus Lied
Summary: Shino enters into an arranged marriage, but, as life continues, his relationship with Kiba is also changing. ShinoxOC ShinoxKiba. Rated M as of chapter fourteen.
1. To

Um, hello! I hope you read and enjoy for the entire story (no telling how long that'll take)! Please review at the end of the chapter, so I know if it's acceptable.

Warnings: This story will be rated M in much later chapters, and I'll warn you and change the rating before anything major happens. There _will_ be yaoi, so don't read this if you disagree with that.

Pairings: ShinoxOC ShinoxKiba NejixHinata NarutoxHinata SasukexOC NejixLee (This is insane, when I look at it. Gosh, and there might be more. It just got away from me, you know?)

EDIT: A lovely reviewer (Abhorsen, thank you) has informed me that the name I got from the books (I swear it's spelled Komo in there) was wrong, and it is Kumo. I'll correct it in this chapter, and have this edit in the next chapter for those who have already read this first.

* * *

The greeting room of the Aburame home was not decadent. There were no golden fans or rich tapestries. It did not display my family's wealth in a foolish attempt to impress our guests; they had to have respect for the Aburame clan or be prepared to wait outside until they developed it. There was a square table, capable of seating two people on a side comfortably. A long line of cushions sat along one wall, for the main visitor's party, and each one was silk of the most exquisite quality. 

Just because we did not lavishly display our wealth did not mean that we were without it - or above subtle gestures.

On this day, the table had two cushions before it. I was kneeling on one, in a formal yukata made by Aburame-controlled silkweavers. It was stiff and crisp, having not been worn since a business meeting I had attended with Father a month past. The black silk had no pattern, but at the bottom the solid color became flecked with white, until dissolving altogether to reveal the remaining black marks were insects. The smell of mothballs was irritating me as the room held its breath.

Across from me was a girl, one year older than my seventeen, obviously set on display. Her complexion, though without major flaw, had been evened out with powders and encouraged to blush. Her lips were darkened and exaggerated, giving the appearance of a pout. Black hair was pulled tight into a knot on the top of her head, and heavily laden with silver dragonfly pins showing gossamer wings. A deep red kimono displayed the symbol of Kumogakure, Hidden in Cloud, and was tied with a silver obi to match the pins in her hair.

Her eyes were hidden by slim, dark sunglasses, as were mine.

Ten people were lined up on the wall, watching us in various states of anxiety. This was the girl's entourage, with her father and mother sitting next to Father on the other wall. Everyone except me seemed to be holding their breath, waiting to view this meeting.

Through a valiant effort, I did not yawn. Instead, I moved back from the table, bowed to the floor and said, "Aburame Shino welcomes this honored guest into his home."

She bowed as well, one pale hand over the other, and said in a pretty, high voice, "Aburame Mira is honored to beg hospitality."

Everyone else let out a relieved sigh, and I set myself on autopilot. Mira's body language and tone, as we went through the motions of the traditional meeting, was alarming. She seemed almost hungry. I had an unsettling premonition of disaster connected with her.

Which, considering the nature of the meeting, was irrelevant.

* * *

Three hours later, I was laying neatly folded clothes in an overnight bag, over the top of medical supplies, emergency rations, extra kunai and shuriken, and my legal documentation of my status as chuunin rank ninja of Konohagakure. I felt much more like me with my weapons pouch fastened around my upper right thigh, hitai-ate, and jacket. 

"Shino-sama," an elderly maid said respectfully from the doorway, "he has arrived."

I nodded my understanding and zipped the bag closed as she disappeared once again. Servants have a knack for doing that, in my household. By the time I was three, I had trained my kikai insects to alert me of anyone's approach, and at four I had mastered the stealth skills themselves. The life of a shinobi is never a simple one. Learning stealth from the servants, even before entering the academy, had given me a leg up.

Minutes later, I was outside the hall again. I suppressed a sigh, set my bag down next to the other standard-issue one, and motioned for another magically present woman to slide open the screen door. Stepping inside, I ignored one Inuzuka Kiba as he sat with Father's hand on his shoulder to keep him still. I moved to kneel at the same receiving table, across from the same Mira. She hadn't yet changed out of her kimono, having expected this encounter.

I bowed again, saying, "This host humbly begs Mira-dono's pardon for his departure."

She bowed perfectly again, responding in the traditional way. "This guest wishes glory and peace for Shino-sama on his journey."

I rose once more, and every other person in the room did the same. I walked to the parent's side, giving a standing bow to Mira's parents and turning to Father. We both nodded to each other. To Kiba, I said, "I'm ready."

He grinned and we walked out of the hall. Kami-sama, but I loathe traditions.

* * *

Kiba and Akamaru were by my side as we all made our way to the North gate. "So tell me something," he started conversationally. "Why, exactly, did your dad pull me aside when I walked in and explain, very graphically, my own death, should I interrupt anything?" 

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and said, "You saw Mira."

"She's a pretty girl, and hard to miss," he said, in the voice reserved for children and fools.

"She is." I paused, trying to word the next sentence in a way that would not upset my teammate unduly. "She is also my fiancée."

"Oh, is that- _What?_" he yelled, as he actually listened for once in his life. "You didn't tell me you were getting married!"

We were in sight of the gate by then, and I saw Hinata already there, talking with Hyuuga Neji and Uzumaki Naruto. I indicated the three, and asked, "Are you aware of the arranged marriage of our little sister and Neji?"

"Well, yeah, but that's just because of the Byakugan in their blood, right?" Kiba shrugged, lacing his fingers behind his head and sliding his hood down to rest on his shoulders. He really did look better with the fur lining out from around his face, I noted for the hundredth time since being put on his team for genin training four years before. "It's the same as that Uchiha super kill guy needing to carry on his clan. Only, he'll be able to choose any girl, since they're all throwing themselves at his feet and he doesn't have any relatives to keep the blood pure."

"The kikai bugs become unable to recognize Aburame blood as it gets weaker." He looked at me as though I was babbling about advanced string theory. My eyebrows lifted at his idiocy, and I said, somewhat slower, "Her full name is Aburame Mira."

"Oooooh, I get it," he said, pointing to himself with his thumb. "You've _got_ to marry this girl, you don't _want_ to."

I didn't respond, as we were nearly beside Hinata by then. "Hello, Onii-san," the more respectful form was me, "Nii-chan," was Kiba. After a dangerous assassination mission, during which both of us had saved Hinata repeatedly, we had begun jokingly referring to her as our 'little sister', and it had stuck. That sort of thing happened when Kiba decided to give us all nicknames.

Naruto took our arrival as a sign that he should finish his goodbyes, and ran a nervous hand through his coarse blond hair, frowning with nerves. "Um, Hinata-chan," he said eventually. He and the shy Hyuuga girl had been pretty serious for a year, but had broken up shortly before her betrothal to Neji was announced. He still used the '-chan' suffix, and, until Hinata told him to stop, he always would. "Be careful-tebayo. This is A-rank, isn't it?"

Hinata smiled, keeping her pale eyes fixed on him. It had been a huge problem for them at first, the way she always let them slide away, and Kiba and I had finally forced her to break the habit. "I will, Naru-chan. It would be a B-rank if we weren't going into an unallied country." She took out a slim disc of opaque crystal, a token given her by the head of the Hyuuga clan upon mastering the inherent Byakugan. "Still, keep this safe for me."

He nodded, and took it. They always did this, whenever either of them went away. I wanted to just tell Naruto to keep it all the time, and call it a present to remember her by, but I couldn't. After all, Hinata was betrothed to Neji; she certainly couldn't give an ex-boyfriend such a personal gift. Naruto, as part of his usual goodbye, brought his finger up to the hitai-ate tie around her neck. "And you've still got that, right?"

She nodded and, to prove it, lifted the gold chain necklace above the ninja's mark and the blue stone caught the sunlight. This had been a gift from Naruto, before they'd ended things. Hinata never took it off, saying that it would be disrespectful of the blond. We all knew that it was the same clear blue as his eyes. Of course she wouldn't take it off.

As Naruto gave her a big hug, I kept my eyes on Neji's face. His pale eyes, matching Hinata's, didn't look away, but I didn't see any jealousy. It was more a sort of understanding, or indulgence. When the two pulled apart, Neji took his cousin's hand and said a few quiet words before leaning in to kiss her forehead and smile just a very little bit.

Kiba, having long ago lost interest, was shifting back and forth on his feet and eyeing a sashimi vendor. Raw meat was his favorite food. Digesting makes one tired, especially at the amount of food that Kiba typically ate. Kurenai's standing orders were to keep Kiba from eating before a mission and for good reason.

I put a hand on his shoulder, distracting him. "Where is Akamaru?" He looked at me, but his brown eyes kept straying back to the sashimi. I pinched the red clan marking on his right cheek. "Kiba, you know you can't. Where is Akamaru?"

He pouted at me for a moment, looking incredibly childish, and whistled through his teeth. A loud bark came from twenty feet down the crowded street, and the dog barreled into his master's legs a moment later. "There, are you happy?"

Kurenai, wearing the jounin uniform of a dark green flak jacket over a black sweat suit for once in her life, had arrived. I smirked and nodded to her. When Kiba looked, his face fell, and I murmured, "Mission accomplished."

The faintest of goosebumps rose on his slim, pale neck. He whipped back around, the area just above his red markings flushed pink. "Wh-what?" He pulled his hood up quickly, as though chilled, despite the dry summer heat.

"Mission accomplished," I repeated with confusion. What had gotten into him all of a sudden?

"Right." He visibly relaxed and moved farther toward our teacher, ignoring me as I continued to watch him.

After Kurenai checked with us again about the supplies we had brought, we began our journey to Kumo no Kuni.

* * *

When we arrived in Kumogakure, it was almost midnight. Kurenai checked us into a hotel and simply dragged Hinata away to their shared room, telling us that we were to be ready by seven o'clock the next morning. She was not the most sociable of people when she needed her beauty sleep, and I hoped that Hinata would be able to handle her. 

Kiba and I went to our own, and I was given to wonder at the quality of the girls' room. Ours was moderately clean, but the wallpaper was threatening to peel and the window had no blinds. Worse, it faced east; the sun would undoubtedly wake me around five in the morning, though I couldn't speak for Kiba. The bedding was thin and worn, and now, as I looked at it, I realized the mistake the hotel had made. There was only one bed.

We both dropped our bags by the door and I took my loose pajama pants out. I didn't mention the bed, because I knew that Kiba would. However, as I unzipped my jacket and toed off my shoes, he wearily did the same. Had the journey tired him out? We had been using chakra steadily for hours, jumping from branch to branch in the forest. I was fine, but I had more reserves than he did. After all, he would usually be ranting and raging about the double-sized bed.

I stripped until my upper torso was bare, thinking about it. I looked across the room, where he was pulling off his tank top. Finally, I said, "What's wrong?"

He froze, took a deep breath, and turned to face me. "I'm still pissed about you not telling me you were engaged." His eyes traveled from mine, to the floor, and back again before he looked away. "Seriously, when did you find out?"

My eyes narrowed behind the glasses. I knew he was lying; he had never been able to hide it from me. "There have been negotiations since I was three. However, the last time I saw Mira, I was ten." She had been a spoiled brat then, and, though I hadn't really spoken to her since her arrival, I was sure it was the same way.

He bent down to retrieve his shorts and I stood there silently, waiting for his next complaint. I found myself following his slim silhouette, and comparing it to when we had been thirteen. He had certainly grown taller, and his shoulders broader, though his waist was almost as thin as a woman's. I would have teased him about it, if Kurenai didn't do it so often.

I didn't flinch when he stood up, staring right back. "Shino, we're friends, right?" About a year before, he had stopped using any suffix. I hadn't called him on it. I had assumed that that had shown him that I considered him a friend close enough to do so, and made no reply. He sighed and looked at the window, running a hand through his hair. "Right, we're _best_ friends. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know you were interested in the subject of my marriage." He glared at me, and a low growl filled the room. Akamaru was responding to his master's body language. I turned to face the wall and slipped out of my pants, pulling on my pajamas all the way before I quietly said, "We weren't friends when we met." I turned toward him full on and continued, "With chuunin exams to prepare for, there wasn't any room in my life to consider it. When it was brought up a few months ago, I realized that you didn't know. By then, you would have been angry either way."

His eyes softened, and he padded across the room with bare feet to stand next to the bed. He seemed to consider its singularity for a moment, and then turned back. "Switch the light off before you come over."

I hit the switch and found my way in the dark, no challenge for either of us. If he had no problem sharing a bed, neither did I. I slid beneath the covers on one side, careful not to touch him, in case he was still annoyed. I was saved the trouble by Akamaru jumping in between us and snuggling down. I focused on falling asleep, trying hard not to start thinking about anything.

I wouldn't get any sleep if I thought about how I was going to marry Mira.

"Shino," Kiba whispered after ten minutes, "are you awake?" I turned my head toward him, allowing the pillow to rustle under my head. "About Mira." The very thing I was trying to avoid. "Do you love her?"

I didn't know how to respond. I settled on, "I'm going to marry her."

He turned on his side, careful not to disturb his dog. He sounded more childish than ever before as he prodded, "But you would tell me if you really loved her."

"I would," I promised quietly.

I could see his wide smile before he fell asleep. I ended up not sleeping much anyway.

* * *

At sunrise, I opened my eyes to the inside of my sunglasses and blinked at not having taken them off. Sitting up, I pulled out of the blanket and stretched my back until it cracked. Glancing down, I paused at seeing how Kiba was curled around Akamaru, hands fisted in his white fur. I walked around the bed and stood looking down at him for a moment. 

I crouched down and set my palm on his stomach, somewhat interested in his well-defined abs. He turned over with a sharp intake of breath and stared with his eyes wide. "Kiba, it would be better to wake up now and take a bath."

He moved the blanket away and grabbed my hand to pull him up. "Okay," he agreed, not looking at me. "Um, where's the bathhouse in this place?"

I moved away to get my things out of my bag and said, "There was a sign for it being out back." He followed my lead and we left minutes later, Akamaru standing guard in the room. Down three flights of stairs and through a maze of hallways, we finally found the baths and changed.

"So, what are we doing today?" Kiba asked, grinning, just before hopping into the heated water. "I know that Kurenai's going to be talking about the Kumogakure ninjas protecting trade both ways inside Kumo no Kuni, but we're all just chuunins. Where will we be?"

I slid into the sunken pool up to my shoulders, noting his snort at the sunglasses I had opted to keep on. It was a sort of game between the two of us; he always tried to remove them, and I had promised that he would see my eyes when he was my equal. "We will be on the lookout for assassins, naturally. This _is_ an A-ranked mission."

"That's the thing. Why would someone pay money to have some trade talk ended?" As he dunked his entire head under, I quickly removed my glasses and did the same, coming up before he did. "It doesn't make sense."

I got back out and made my way to the cold water faucets, filling a provided bucket and dumping it over my head. "Kumo no Kuni is on neutral terms with us, which still isn't friendly. Any of the other countries could be trying to incite a war between us."

He leaned his crossed arms on the brick lip, and tilted his head to the side. "Oi, but what if it's Kumo no Kuni doing it? What if they want to get us to attack, so at they can fight back and take us over?"

"Don't be a fool, we have the stronger village. A war would be disastrous for them. It's more likely Suna; they hate us."

"Right," he agreed, looking thoughtful. "Hey, why do you sound like you've written a thesis on every subject?"

I gave him an are-you-an-idiot look. "Because I think."

He scowled, and got out as well. "You think, therefore you are? The saying's something like that."

"I take it further. 'I think, therefore I am; I am, therefore I act; I act, therefore I survive.' It's something that Father taught me, when I was very young."

He made a face and dumped the bucket of cold water over his head, shivering slightly. "Whatever. We need to get back upstairs."

I shrugged and dried off, pulling on my clothes and seeing Kiba do the same. We went back upstairs to retrieve our weapons, and, in the hallway, I sent a kikai into the girl's room to check on them. Hinata was trying to wake up Kurenai, but our sensei seemed disinclined to keep her own stated rendezvous. Not my fault.

* * *

The mission was boring as all hell. Basically, the Kumo ninjas had agreed to protect all traders from bandits, and it had taken _six hours_ to agree on that. Meanwhile, Kiba and Hinata had waltzed around the village, looking for motive to attack us. Our information had stated clearly that there was suspicion of an assassination attempt. Oh, well; nothing had come up. Mission completed. We spent one more night there, and then set out for Konoha.

* * *

We were heading home, taking a break after using chakra for two hours. Slowly trudging through the underbrush, it wasn't exactly easy going. Kurenai wasn't complaining, but the petulant pout on her face gave me chills. I hoped that she wasn't going to take her irritation out on us when we got back. Things got ugly when she was unbalanced. 

We had tried to be quiet for the first fifteen minutes, but it wasted an incredible amount of time and energy to make sure a passing bird wouldn't hear us. Now, we all simply waded through the leaves and vines, keeping sight of each other as best we could.

Just as we were getting ready to take to the branches again, there was a very, very soft _chink_ of metal on metal. From the sound, it had been from about chest height, to me. There had been a small area in contact, so one of the two objects was pointed, and the vibrations were carried farther and clearer on a wide plane. So, one piece was flat, and the other was pointed, sharp. Like a senbon needle against –

Even as all of this flashed through my mind, I grabbed Hinata and pulled her down. "Are you injured?" I breathed, scanning the forest. Both of the others in our party had disappeared in the four-foot foliage. "That was your hitai-ate, wasn't it?"

Very, very carefully, she touched the chipped surface and shook her head. As we knelt there, her hands went around her feet, and came back with a silvery senbon needle. "They weren't aiming to kill."

"They might not have known that you wear your headband around your neck. That would have been a killing blow, otherwise."

She carefully kept her voice low, leaning close to my ear. "They wouldn't have made such a mistake! This is an A-rank for a reason – we're up against jounin, not our own level. And the metal would have stood out more than anything else."

There was a long stretch of silence, until the natural animal noises returned. I turned my head just barely. "Are they still here?"

She took a deep breath, held her hand in the simple sign for focusing chakra, and I saw the veins around her eyes stand out as she strained to use the Byakugan. "No. There's nothing but animals. We're clear."

I stood up, alert to any more attacks. "Sensei, it's clear. They're gone, and both of us are uninjured."

She straightened from a crouch near the gnarled root system of a tree. "I take it this is Byakugan-guaranteed?"

I nodded solemnly. "Kiba?" Why hadn't he spoken yet?

He answered, sounding as though he was in pain. "Shino, I'm by the purple flower thing. The bastards got me in the thighs – I don't think I can stand." I was already climbing toward him, following his voice. "They're kunai. I'm not going to move, okay? They seem like they're pretty close to the tendons. I really don't need those to be cut."

By then I was kneeling down, inspecting the wounds. They were deep, but they had both missed the bone. I touched the top lightly, and he hissed. "You didn't cry out. I didn't even know that you were hit."

"Well, duh," he chuckled, gritting his teeth. "I'm a shinobi, damn it. I'm not about to let them know they got their mark, or give away our position more than it was already."

Of course. "I'm going to pull these out. They're gone, by the way. Feel free to scream." As he glared at me, I grabbed the hilt of the right one and tugged it straight out, cleanly. He grunted just once, and his hand found my left wrist. "Okay, now the other one. It won't hurt as much."

"Bullshi – nng!" His hand tightened around my wrist, and I could see his teeth on his bottom lip, threatening to break the skin. I tapped his jaw, and he self-consciously stopped, taking a deep breath. "Why the hell do kunai have to be diamond-shaped? That hurts!"

"Because they want you to hurt, idiot." I looked at the two kunai for a moment – they were still dripping, spreading blood onto the wide leaves - before wrapping them up and putting them in my thigh holster. "Do you feel any better? Is the blood clotting?" I pulled out bandages and, using a clean kunai, sawed his pant legs off to get to the wounds.

"What do you think? Damn it, I won't be able to walk for a day or so. This sucks."

"At least the village is going to pay for the hospital stay," I pointed out. I lifted his leg and fed the gauze under the wound, then back over and under again. After ten times around, I made sure it was as tight as it could go and secured it with a metal clasp. I turned to the next one.

"I don't like the hospitals. They smell yellowish-orange."

"Try to imagine that I don't see through my nose, Kiba." I finished, checked both dressings, and hauled him up with my arms around his ribcage. "Can you put any weight on them at all?"

"Ow ow ow," he gasped, leaning all the way onto me. That was a no. I sat him down on a tree root. "No, they smell fake, I guess. All that antiseptic is covering up rot and death." He put his hand on Akamaru's head, as I turned. The women were standing there, and Hinata was holding something.

"Little sister, is that the needle?" I held out my hand for it. Deciding to inspect it later, I put it into the same holder as the kunai from Kiba's legs. "Neither of you are injured, for sure?"

"We're fine. I told you, they weren't trying to kill me," Hinata reassured me, going to stand next to our teammate. "Nii-chan, do you want pain medication?"

"Nah, I'm fine. Just some throbbing. Shino's gotten the bleeding to stop. I'll just have to limp home." He moved to stand, and fell back again.

"The hell you are," Kurenai said. "We're going to move as fast as possible. Boys, have Akamaru hold your things. Shino, you'll carry him. I want to be out of here in one minute."

I grabbed our overnight bags, tied them across the huge canine's back, and, after a thought, added Kiba's bulky jacket. He didn't comment as I took it from him. Finally, Hinata helped me negotiate Kiba onto my back, legs and arms around my waist and shoulders.

We took to the branches again. We all knew that there wouldn't be any more rest stops. We had to report to the Godaime; the assassination attempt had happened, as forecast.

After an hour of silence, Kiba murmured in my ear, "Sorry for messing up."

"They hit you with two kunai and you didn't even make a sound. You didn't mess up."

"But, if they had attacked in Kumo no Kuni, before we were in the forest, I could have smelled them beforehand. Everything is so thick in here that I'm no good. Our sister could have been killed."

"No," I said simply. "She was right. They weren't trying to kill either of you. It was a warning."

"What? You have to tell the Hokage!"

"Of course," I conceded, as though talking to a child. "This isn't over yet."

"Nope!" he chirped. "Things are just getting started!"

* * *

Thus ends the first chapter of many! Please review! 


	2. Heal

You see? It's not all bad. I'm not going to say much in the notes, unless something catches my eye. Will someone please tell me, which is a woman, fiancee or fiance? I have it as 'ee' in this, but I will change it if corrected. Oh, and tell me if I do anything wrong. I will listen. The first chapter was beta-ed, thank you, Adi, but I'm trying to proofread it myself.

Speaking of corrections: It isn't Komo no Kiri, as I thought and looked up in the books (I probably got it wrong in transferring it over, right?). Abhorsen has told me that it would be Kumo no Kuni. So, I modified the first chapter and this does not have that mistake.

One last thing. I'm attempting to humanize Mira, and give her a personality, in this. So pay attention to that, I suppose. ShinoKiba is awesome.

Read happily!

* * *

It was the day after our mission to Komogakure. Kurenai, Hinata, Kiba and I stood in the Hokage's office, at stiff attention. Tsunade, the Fifth, sighed and ran her hand through her bangs, loose from the leather strap holding back her hair. "Alright, let's go over this again. You got Kumo to agree, and completed your mission, and you were inside our country before the attack?" At our stiff, uniform nods, she sighed. "Then we can't blame Kumo for it. And the senbon you recovered had high nickel content, found in Suna-no-Kuni. So they were from the Village Hidden in the Sand?" 

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Kurenai said solemnly.

I glanced at Kiba. He was staring straight ahead, and the jaw muscle beneath his cheek was standing out. He hadn't healed well enough to be at attention for long; he could barely walk into the room. As a dog, Akamaru wasn't allowed inside – one of the assistant, Shizune's, ridiculous rules, since she exempted her own pet pig – and Kiba didn't have any support. I was worried that he was going to pass out. He hadn't gone to a hospital, and didn't even own any pain medication. I had insisted on changing the dressings for him, at the very least, because I knew that he wouldn't do it himself.

"Is there anything else to add?" Tsunade turned to the three of us, clicking her high heels on the ground. She was pensive, as though she already had a lot to think about. I weighed the options: to speak up now and try to give my opinions, or wait until I was sure.

Sorry, Kiba, but endure it for a little while longer. "Hokage-sama, I may be mistaken," I said, and heard a little snort from Kiba, "but don't the Suna ninjas make a habit of using another country's weapons, because they know that their own give away their identity? At the same time, they were not trying to kill us."

She tilted her head to the side, thinking. "You suggest that we can't assume that Sunagakure is breaking our armistice with them." She studied me for a moment. "Thank you, Shino-san. It will be taken into consideration. That will be all."

As we turned to go, Hinata and Kurenai walked swiftly away. Kiba managed, more slowly, and I kept pace with him. When we were halfway across the room, Tsunade said, "A moment, Shino-san." I left Kiba to his own devices, reluctantly, and turned back. She beckoned me close and held out a medicine packet. "Give this to him, in tea or any other drink. It will take away most of the pain and help him heal."

I nodded, and pocketed it. The legendary medic-nin had struck again.

As I was walking again, she called, "And congratulations on your engagement!" I winced.

Kiba had reached the door, and was holding his hand discreetly on the wall. I knew that he was trying to keep as much of his weight off his legs as possible. We left together, and, once we were out of Tsunade's sight, he wobbled just a little bit and I slipped my arm around his waist and held him. He paused a moment, and then wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Sorry, again."

"You are an idiot. At least try to heal before doing things like this." We went out of the central administration building of Konoha and took to the street. "Are you hungry?"

"Ye-ah," he coughed out, breathing heavily. "Let's get to Ichiraku's. I'm up for some ramen." It was only two blocks away and we got there quickly. After we ordered, he said, "I just don't like being an invalid. I'll heal faster if I use my legs, you know? It's physical therapy, just like in the hospitals."

I glared at him. I'm sure that he could feel it. "Kiba, it'll be physical therapy _after_ you've healed. Right now, it's just torture."

"Yeah, yeah." Our food arrived, and he was suddenly disinterested in our conversation, yelling, "Itadakimasu!" Then, his entire face was lost inside his bowl. His eating habits had always mildly disgusted me, and I was a man with bugs crawling beneath my skin.

"Shouldn't Akamaru be here soon?" I asked casually. My fingers, inside my pocket, slipped the fold out of the paper and brought it up, careful not to let the powder slip onto the counter.

Kiba grunted, not even coming up for air. The powder slid smoothly off the paper and into the small cup of sake I had insisted he order. A little bit of medicine-laced alcohol helped take the edge off the pain.

He reached for the cup seconds after I withdrew my hand, and I watched him drink it. Mission accomplished.

Akamaru wandered up a few minutes before we left. He had been at the Inuzuka complex, getting fed. As we walked toward the chuunin section of the training grounds, I noted with satisfaction that Kiba wasn't limping as heavily. No need to tell him; he would only grow angry at me for making him comfortable. It was unnecessary, anyway.

"So, Shino, what are we going to train today?" he asked, obviously dreading the answer. "I mean, we're obviously strong enough for being chuunins, but the jounin test is in three months. Can we make it, do you think?"

I nodded, once, and pointed at the ground. "Push-ups, two hundred. Then sparring, and more push-ups, and crunches, and meditation, and more push-ups." I dutifully sent out a hundred bugs for Akamaru to track down – no small chore, in a field as large as the entire Aburame grounds.

"Gods, Shino, what is it with you and push-ups? Most of your attacks are with your kikai, you hardly ever punch people!" he whined, even as we both set to work, keeping the same pace. I focused on my breathing. In (up, down), out (up, down), over and over again. I like training; it calms me.

"Shino, you bastard!" Kiba whined after three hours. "I want to rest! We must've done a thousand friggin' push-ups by now, when are you going to ease up?" He dodged a kick, even as he was talking.

"When you are as strong as Tsunade-sama," I grunted, focusing my chakra on my feet for a high jump.

"But she's a monster! You don't even need it! Hell, neither of us have an ounce of fat on our bones!" He was falling into a familiar pattern of blocks, and, on the seventh one, I bypassed him and stopped before my fist connected with his solar plexus.

As he mimed falling back from the blow, I said, "Your attacks are mostly based on chakra and upper body strength."

Panting, he laughed and said knowingly, "Ah, so you're really just a bleeding heart, trying to help me? You're such a sweetie!"

"You're the one bleeding, of the two of us." I sat down next to him and poked at his stained pants, right over his thighs. "I told you to heal."

He crossed his legs, shrugging. "That was hours ago, and I didn't hear you complaining. Anyway, it doesn't hurt. Weird, right?"

I shrugged guiltily. I'm not good at lying to friends.

His head swiveled a full one hundred eighty degrees to growl at me. His eye twitched spasmodically. "Shino, _tell me_ you didn't give me something."

"I would not give you something against your wishes," I said as calmly as possible.

"Not unless it helped with training!" He growled and messed with his hair viciously, the closest he got to passive-aggressive (in that it didn't cause harm to the other person). "I can't believe you!"

I frowned. "You said yourself that it doesn't hurt. You would be out here either way, so which is better?"

Now he just pouted, petulant. "I _guess_ this way. Not like I have a choice."

There was a long period of silence. I remembered a subject that I had wanted to discuss with him and sighed, quietly. "About Mira."

"Oh, yeah, have you told her about your awesome heroics on the mission?" He pitched his voice annoyingly high, "'_I'm Shino, and the enemy doesn't even _aim_ for me!'_"

I ignored him, instead following the progress of a glossy blue dragonfly. "I am going to be expected to invite her on a date, likely within the next two weeks."

"Score one for Shino!" Kiba cheered, throwing his hands up and flopping backwards in the grass. "What's your point?"

"I want to know when you are unavailable to train," I said obviously. "There is no point in missing a day unnecessarily with the exams so close. It is etiquette to escort her somewhere or other, but it's useless if it also puts you out of a day of training."

He scratched his nose, thinking. He was such a child. "Ano…I guess my sister's been talking about abducting Akamaru for his yearly bath lately." I brought my brows together, seriously worried. He saw the look and yelled, "You know that I take baths!"

I shook my head and looked at the sky. We had another good hour of daylight left. "Time for more push-ups," I said, as though commenting on the weather.

He was silent a moment, and then sat up, grinning. He poked my cheek, laughing, "Haha, yer _funny_."

I swatted his hand away and moved into position for the exercise.

More nervous, he held himself up as well, and we began. A few repetitions in, he said, "Um, Shino, you're joking about being as strong as Tsunade, right?"

I grunted noncommittally.

"Right, Shino?"

* * *

One week passed. We trained every day. I only saw Mira at mealtimes, if I showed up for them. It was ludicrous, seeing Father – my role model, the head of the Aburame Clan! – being hospitable. Mira's parents were going to stay with us for a month, meaning three more weeks, and then return to Komogakure. Mira herself was here for good. 

I found myself wanting to ask about her life back then. She had been a snotty kid, back when every girl was snotty to every boy. I couldn't really hold that against her now, seven years later. For all I knew, she was a well-educated, dedicated woman. Or she could be a lot like Hinata, and that would be uncomfortable. Hinata was my little sister, after all.

Before dawn, I was sitting in the formal dining room. The staff all knew my sleeping habits – which had charmingly been compared to a flea's, by Kiba, who claimed that the things never stopped biting – and prepared an adequate breakfast each morning.

Today, there was another place setting. I asked a passing spirit (read: maid) and was informed of a guest's wish to be awoken early. Damn.

Mira was the one who walked through the door not thirty seconds before my planned escape. "Ah, Shino-sama, good morning. I had hoped that I would be able to see you off."

Sighing internally, I said, as accommodating as I felt the presence of mind for, "Good morning, Mira-dono. I did not expect anyone to be awake this early."

"Do you always train so diligently?" she said politely. She sat down to an empty bowl, but, expecting it, I 'watched' (it being a relative word – my kikaichu sensed it) as a chakra-induced-invisible servant filled her bowl and slinked away. Mira's eyes widened, but nothing more. She was the daughter of a ninja clan, after all.

In answer to her question, I nodded. "The jounin exams are in eleven weeks. Kiba and I are going to test."

She blinked – I could see her long eyelashes flutter, behind her stylish sunglasses. "Are you not strong enough already?" I immediately stiffened. She set her bowl down and apologized quickly. "I don't mean to insult you! It has always seemed pointless to train intensively only just before a test. Strength and chakra are built up over time, are they not?"

"It is our regular training routine, multiplied threefold," I said, only lying a little bit. We normally didn't train every day, either, but there hadn't been any missions since Kiba's injury, which had healed cleanly. "I primarily strategize in a fight, so cramming insanely like some that I know would be worthless." Before his own test a year before, Naruto hadn't slept for four days straight and had nearly missed the day altogether.

"And the boy you train with? Does he need it?"

"Kiba is the man that came on the day we left for our mission," I supplied her with background information. Or, at the very least, a face to match up. "He deals with his chakra more. He is ready, as well. The training is mostly for his rehabilitation, and to get us in the mindset." I didn't say that, of the two of us, Kiba was less prepared. I had been ready to test when Uchiha Sasuke had, two years before, but had decided against it.

"How was he wounded?" she asked innocently.

_On the way back from your home town_, I mentally spat, but said aloud, "It was an A-rank mission. Wounds are expected."

She nodded, quiet. "Are you-" she started.

She was going to ask about a date. I stood up before she did. "Excuse me, Mira-dono. As pleasant as your company is, I am already late."

"I understand. May you become stronger with each passing day," she recited the traditional saying for any ninja.

I bowed low, and left.

* * *

"Shino, when can I meet this Mira chick you so jealously keep trapped in your stupid mansion?" Kiba whined as we wandered the streets for a lunch break. "I mean, you're getting married. I'll meet her eventually, anyway, right?" 

"You will meet her," I acknowledged, and his face lit up, "eventually."

He stuck his tongue out at me and grumbled about overprotective boyfriends. I ignored him. Minutes later, we passed a familiar pair on their way to the jounin training area. "Lee-kun, Neji-kun," I nodded to both. Kiba grinned and waved.

Neji turned his head to murmur something, apparently delaying their current conversation for later. Whatever he said, Lee, keeping a perfectly straight face, turned an incredible shade of red. As he frantically worked to school his eyebrows-eyelashes-bowl cut look into something presentable, Neji raised his voice in greeting. "We're going to go train. Lee managed to break something yesterday and got Sakura-kun to heal him, but he's still weakened."

Lee looked about ready to cry. "Neji! Have the Winter Gales of Malice hardened your heart against me? It isn't in the Spirit of Good to tell everyone of my injury!" His form-fitting green speed suit made him look, as Kiba had said many times before, like 'Gumby', whatever that was, but now it had the flak jacket of a jounin uniform over it. The different greens clashed horribly, and again with the orange leg warmers up to his knees.

Kiba, thumb pointed at his own chest, loudly declared, "Don't worry, Lee! Your secret's safe with us! I got kunai-ed recently, and mine's worse 'cause of the exams in a couple months!"

"'Kunai-ed' isn't a word," I sighed, ears ringing. "Are you finished announcing sensitive subjects to the general population?"

His chastised body language made Akamaru's ears flatten, and a ferocious, two-hundred-pound dog whimpered at what I had said. "Sorry, Shino."

I rolled my eyes and cuffed him gently around the ears to make him stop. "Neji-kun, our little sister is with Naruto, right?"

He nodded his affirmation. "He's been treating her like glass since she 'almost died'." He glared at us with his blank eyes all the same, for allowing his fiancée to be put in danger. "Hinata-chan has also expressed concern over that one," he indicated Kiba, who had happily frolicked off with his dog to mangle what appeared to be a rosebush. I would be digging out the bandages soon.

"Tell her that Tsunade-sama gave me medicine to force on him, so he's better," I assured him. "You two go train. I'll let others know that pass by the chuunin area, so that you aren't disturbed."

He looked hesitant, confused, and worried. "Why would you say that?"

We both took a moment to look at Lee, who had been doing a 'good guy' pose for two minutes straight. Deciding not to say my real reason, I lied, "Do you really want other jounin to know that you spend time with _that _guy?"

He smirked, not really laughing, not really believing me, but he didn't have anything to call me on so we both bowed goodbye and they went on their way. Only then did Kiba come back, having lost his jacket to the summer heat.

"Those guys are pretty close, right?" he said, obviously making an effort to think. I nodded, and we went to our customary place. He seemed to strike on a particularly interesting idea and he said eagerly, "Don't you think it's great that our little sister and Naruto are still such great friends, even after they broke up?"

I stared at him, mouth open. He just grinned, and it was a rare instance in which I could not read him. He had to be kidding. No one was that blind. I settled on shaking my head. "You're such a man, Kiba."

"Hah! You are, too!" he barked, laughing at his own comeback. He mulled it over a while, finally muttering, "What the hell did he mean by that?"

"I think it's time for push-ups," I said, actually taking pleasure in his groan of despair. Training had its perks.

* * *

Another week went by, and we started getting basic missions again; one-day guard duty, paper-pushing in the Administration Offices. It was boring stuff. The only upside was that we had everything together; we could still talk, and I quizzed him on what to do in a fight. Since I had always been better at thinking, I had been the unofficial leader of our genin team years before, and I tried to get Kiba to strategize at least some of the time instead of rushing in, fists flying. He wasn't very good. 

"Five Sound ninja are coming from the east, on a C-rank mission. You have a group of three chuunin against jounin. Terrain is sand. Speculate," I ordered, stamping a report and putting it the pile of the other ones.

"Um," he stalled, motioning for the next person in line to approach, "I guess that I would want to fan out and attack with…um…senbon? Because they… are more accurate. Yeah."

I shuffled my stack into straight-edged order, and said, matter-of-factly, "No. You don't even know if they're hostile at this point."

"So…One of us talk to one of them. As a greeting." I knew that he was guessing, but, since it was correct, I let it go.

"If they _are_ hostile, they now know that your side is weaker, and are more confident to attack you," I reminded him. "You should keep one of your team hidden under the sand for use in a surprise attack."

"I was going to say that next, you just didn't let me finish," he laughed.

"They are hostile, and you now have yourself, one other, and one hidden to defend with."

"Um, duh, we fight it out. The hidden one will have to judge the right time to help for himself. And then we all get back here and have dango. Right?"

"I'm not certain about the dango, but the rest was acceptable. You may relax for now."

"And our shift's over! Yay!" he yelled, not really paying attention. "We're ready to go now!

"For what?"

"For a night on the town, you social pariah. Come on, I haven't gotten out in a couple weeks with your hard ass training, and _you_ haven't gotten out in, what, a year?" He stood up as a younger chuunin tapped his shoulder to take his place, and waited as I was replaced as well. We navigated the maze of the inner, paper-based structure of the village, as Kiba refused to stop talking. "It'll be fun! That's F-U-N, Shino. That's where you enjoy something that doesn't relate to work or causing me physical and emotional pain."

"What do you suggest? It's already late. My father has mandated that I eat dinner at home, at least until Mira's parents go back to Kumo no Kuni. I can't go." I grabbed my bag and started to head home.

Kiba sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Shino, in all the years we've been friends, you have never been good at painfully simple concepts. When I say, 'Let's hang out,' _you_ say, 'Come eat dinner at my house.' Try it out for yourself."

I kept walking, and he kept up. He sighed and droned, "Let's hang out."

Deciding to just go with it, since he never let go of an idea once he sank his teeth in, I obediently answered, "Come eat dinner at my house."

"I'd love to!"

I turned slightly to give him an admonishing glare. "This isn't technically 'dinner'. You have to have the sort of manners that are learned from birth. I am saying this to you honestly, Kiba; you will hate it. No one talks, everyone is uptight, and you will bite your own tongue off before the end. I know I want to, and I have a lot more patience." We were within view of the front gate of the Aburame grounds.

He sighed. "Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. I'll just go home, then."

I rolled my eyes, and conceded. "You can have dinner with us in two more weeks."

"Yay! Bye, Shino! Remember, Akamaru has his bath _tomorrow_, so you better get that date thing over with while I have a day off!" And then he disappeared.

* * *

We were eating a traditional dinner of tako sunomono – cucumber and seaweed with octopus. It was served as a banquet for our guests, and, therefore, all our manners had to be impeccable. The flurry of people bringing plates, coupled with the stiff, learned-by-rote movements of the five of us were like an intricate dance of porcelain and chopsticks. 

In my mind, I was reciting the laws of the shinobi code of conduct. It was better than small talk.

Mira broke the silence, saying quietly, "Shino-sama, may I ask after the success of your mission? It was nearly two weeks ago, and I have been very curious, though I have tried to forget about it." We had discussed it somewhat, but, as the meeting had not been publicly witnessed, it had not really happened.

"It was completed satisfactorily," I answered, hoping to discourage her. Father glared at me, and I amended, "I cannot discuss it, Mira-dono. My apologies."

She smiled brightly, mercifully ready to drop it. "No, I understand. Many of the people my own age in Komogakure said the same thing."

Her mother, an impolitic woman with no head for proper decorum, waved away my explanation. "Nonsense, surely there are some details we are permitted to know."

Thank you, Father. Now I had to keep most of the information back without seeming rude. I thought, of all things, about what Kiba would say at a time like this; "Oh yeah, we went to your hometown and our little sister was almost killed by Suna ninja that we don't really think are from Suna. Whatever." He would say exactly that, and then sit back and enjoy the uproar.

Carefully swallowing my laugh, I said evenly, "I attended a trade negotiation with a superior."

Mira, setting her chopsticks horizontally across her rice bowl to signify that she was done, pushed her sunglasses up her nose and said, "You left in the company of another boy, and we were not introduced. Who is he? Is he our age?" We both knew that we had had this part of the conversation before, but it was for our parents' sake. Heaven forbid that we would meet alone. Breakfast a week before, with the transient servants the clan employed all around us, hardly counted as 'alone'.

Still, I went along with it, saying dutifully, "Inuzuka Kiba, chuunin. He is going to turn seventeen in a month and a half. We were in the academy together, and our genin squad consisted of the both of us and Hyuuga Hinata." I followed her example with the chopsticks, and our parents did the same.

Dinner over, the three adults moved back against the wall to chaperone us. They must have thought that, as a male teenager and his fiancée, we would be tearing each other's clothes off.

Yeah, right. She fidgeted and tried to correct her posture, while I didn't see the use and waited for her to say something.

"This Inuzuka Kiba…he is a friend?"

"The best," I answered quickly. I was ready for this to be over.

"May I meet him? I wish to know more people in this village…" As her voice trailed off, I knew what was expected of me.

"Mira-dono, would you allow me to escort you around the town tomorrow? I will introduce you to my friends."

She seemed surprised, but then beamed. "I would be honored!"

After we exchanged bows, she and her parents went upstairs to get ready for bed. I was left alone with Father. I was well prepared to let the silence stretch on forever, but he spoke after a few minutes.

"That was the proper thing to do."

"It is how you raised me."

"Don't do anything untoward." I'm reasonably certain that he was being funny. You never know, with my family.

I stood and went to my room without answering. He and I both knew that I would not. I hadn't had a real conversation with Father in a very long time.

Now, I had a date for which to prepare.

* * *

It is satisfactorily long, yes? Review, please. 


	3. A

I write during school and then type things over at night. This took me _so long_. I write small, two lines of text to a line in a college-ruled notebook. I have fifteen pages of writing _still_ to type up. I don't think that my plan is a very good one.

Throughout this chapter, I amused myself by imagining Kiba's thoughts on all this. I almost regret that this story is in first-person, but that would change the entire mood of the story. So just try to remember Kiba's thoughts on Mira as the chapter progresses.

Anyway, the date. Yes, poor Kiba. And you are introduced to another female original character of mine. Enjoy!

* * *

"Mira-dono," I greeted my… fiancé. It was past sunrise, by quite a bit more than was normal for me on a bad day. I was dressed in my jacket and armed, but I had, to my credit, dialed it down a bit. Because Mira and I were going on a date. 

Her hair was down, hanging straight to her waist, shifting as she bowed and kept her eyes down. She wore a T-shirt, soft red cotton outlining her curves as a kimono could never achieve. Her black skirt had been starched stiff, and the folds ended mid-thigh – it made an odd scratching noise with every move. Mira's smooth legs were covered to the knees with cloth boots. Wooden bracelets and silver chains clinked on her upper arms. The sunglasses were in place.

We left my house together, walking in silence until we were outside the outer gate. I wasn't very interested in talking with her, but, out of view of all her entourage, she said, "So, what are we going to do, Shino-kun?"

I understood the more personal suffix. She was my fiancée – of course she would be more personal when free of traditional trappings. However, I had not planned out what to do. Therefore, I did not answer her.

She watched me for a long while as I led us through the streets to the center of town. If I knew Kiba – and I did – he was within a few blocks of the plaza. Probably at a meat vendor's stall, celebrating his lack of assignment through food. When we were in the square, surrounded by people, I put my fingers in my mouth and blew hard. The shrill whistle made heads turn toward us, and I heard, very faintly, a deep bark.

"Shino-kun? Is something wrong?" Mira said quickly, seeming nervous. She shifted, and rustled. Not a very ninja-like outfit, making so much noise. Yes, it was attractive, but it was so out-of -place in a ninja village. She had even been raised in Kumogakure, Konoha's sister village. What odd instincts.

"Tell me, Mira…chan. How are you so different? You were raised _by_ ninjas, and yet you do not have anywhere near the same mentality." I ignored the hurt look at my own hesitation over her name.

She shrugged, setting off a cacophony of little sounds. "I lived in Kumo all my life. I was surrounded by ninja. All I wanted was to be like them, but I was going to come to Konoha for our marriage. They couldn't teach me anything, or else their secrets would be spread here."

I have always thought myself able to read other people. When I saw no sign of the expected ill grace or sadness, I was surprised. "And this doesn't upset you in the least?"

Her eyebrows rose and her lips curled up in a burgundy smile. "I'm not going to cry about it. This is my life – I'm happy with where it's leading me. I have to be a mother, and I have to be a wife. It will be enough for me."

"Will you still think so in five years?" Because I was watching for it, I could see the flash of red in the crowd. Five seconds.

"Yes," she answered, totally serious.

Three, two, one. I braced myself just before an off-white, furry, heavy thing collided with my chest. Mira gulped, but did not scream – as I had expected. Akamaru was followed closely by a running Kiba, though he was hardly winded. Eventually, Kiba clicked his tongue against his teeth and Akamaru took his passive paws off my shoulders.

"Shino, what's up?" he laughed, as though I hadn't arbitrarily called him. "We were just going to get some food. You need something?"

"I need your nose. I wish to find everybody and to introduce Mira-chan to them."

He rolled his eyes, and turned to Mira. "Please excuse him. He lacks basic human instincts. I am Inuzuka Kiba, and it's a pleasure to meet you." He bowed, somewhat respectfully, it being Kiba. "And Akamaru," he grinned, and the dog yipped.

"Aburame Mira, it's a pleasure to meet you, too," she said in response, bowing low. Standing slightly behind her, I could see her skirt stiffly slide up until her upper thighs were almost totally revealed. They were very smooth – evidence that she was not an Aburame ninja. She had the kikaichu, the glasses removed any doubt of that, but her skin didn't have the scars of the insects leaving her skin. It was odd to think of.

As I pondered it, Kiba walked in front of me, hand over his mouth. "Eyes front, Shino!"

I turned my head toward him, ignoring Mira's bright blush. "Where will everyone be?"

He held up his fingers, counting off. "Sasuke is off being all super-kill-ANBU guy, Sakura is working in the hospital for some cash between missions, our sister is still being coddled by Naruto and Neji, so Naruto'll have them at Ichiraku's, Ino and Shikamaru don't like being disturbed when they're making out, and Chouji's out on a C-class. Anyone else, I don't know."

Only Hinata, Neji, and Naruto, then. And, I had a sneaking suspicion, Rock Lee. It was a feeling, a theory that I would test out. I was walking toward Ichiraku's before he finished talking.

Mira must have looked confused, because Kiba said, "Yeah, sorry. He'll just assume that you're coming along."

She didn't say anything, and neither of us did, either. I could tell that Kiba was agitated. Was he mad about my calling for help? Or my attitude toward Mira?

We arrived without major incident. They were there – all of them, including Lee. Kiba was surprised. I watched as various hands were released and Neji's and Hinata's were joined. Aha, I knew it.

Mira was introduced around the food stand; we sat, and ordered to go along with those who had already been served. As we waited for our bowls – and Naruto for his fifth – I kept away from the conversation.

"M-Mira-san," Hinata said, "you are of the Aburame clan? So you are related to Onii-san?"

"Hmm? Your older brother?"

"Ah – sorry! I mean, Shino-kun…" Hinata blushed in embarrassment, and I saw Naruto's worried glance. Before he did something stupid, I reached across him to touch her on the arm. "No, I mean Shino," she amended again. I nodded, and sat back.

Mira carefully kept a blank face. "Yes, Shino-kun and I are related, distantly. I'm in Konoha to become his wife."

Well, that was one way to tell them.

Naruto's rushing chopsticks froze, Lee forget to blink (more than usual), and Neji's eyes narrowed just a very little bit. Hinata, curiously, turned to Kiba, who shook his head.

Neji was the first to speak. "Congratulations."

Lee was still silent. I saw a glint starting.

Naruto swallowed hastily and the hand on Hinata's side disappeared beneath the counter.

I put my hands over my ears as Lee exploded. "I wish you both the Joy of Love and Youth in this venture to face the Future!"

Mira, slightly taken aback, stammered, "Well, thank you…"

Striking a pose, he continued, "And when is this day to make Shino-kun the Happiest of Men?"

Kiba blinked. He hadn't asked me about that. He didn't have any idea when the wedding would be. Would he be angry with me for omitting that? I hadn't thought that it would be important.

Mira smiled and blushed prettily. I was immune to it, after Hinata. No one reacted quite as she'd hoped. Kiba was watching her with a smile that, for the first time in our friendship, didn't succeed in hiding whatever he was truly feeling. If he hadn't been a ninja, he might have wept.

My fiancée seemed to notice and said, "Inuzuka-san? Is something wrong?"

The spell was broken, and he shook his head with his usual energy. "Nothing is wrong. I'm still shocked that Shino's going to bed a girl before me!"

Everyone laughed, except Mira, who looked as though she didn't know how to respond. I rolled my eyes and said, "You have six months left to beat me, Kiba."

"Really? We'll be jounin by then! The exam is in two and a half!" He didn't say that we might not make it.

"The date was chosen with that in mind, I'm sure." He seemed better now, but I knew. And, from the look on Hinata's face, she knew much more about it than me.

"That's even before ours, Hinata-chan," Neji commented quietly. She nodded absently, still looking at Kiba. With both of us staring pointedly at him, he was staring just as pointedly at Mira.

"So, Mira-san," Kiba said, trying to distract us. "Who will be the best man and maid of honor?"

"They will have to be from this village, and I don't know anyone. Shino-kun will have to decide."

"And you haven't given it much thought, I suppose, Shino?"

"It will be you and our little sister," I answered immediately.

"What?" he yelled, shocked. "Just like that?"

"You object?" I asked, somewhat disheartened. I didn't have any friends, not close ones, beyond these two. "Unless Mira-chan has a problem, I want you and our little sister in the wedding, at least…"

Mira put a hand, light as a bird, on his shoulder. "It's alright with me, Inuzuka-san. Don't worry about it. Shino-kun told me himself that you two are best friends."

The effect her words had on Kiba was instantaneous. He seemed to stop breathing, and turned a profound shade of purple.

Worried, Hinata said, "Nii-chan?"

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "I think Mira-chan," he appeared to have adopted my suffix for her, "killed him." He threw a piece of meat from his ramen at Kiba's face, and it landed with a squishy _slap_.

There was a horrified silence as Kiba blinked and took a deep breath. "Na-ru-to!" he growled, taking up the new subject. "Explain to me why there is ramen juice up my nose!"

I stood and picked Naruto up by the back of his jounin vest. He struggled, but I simply said, "Run."

"Shove it, Shino! I can take him!" he yowled like a wildcat. I shrugged. I had warned him. I set him down and took my seat, now between Hinata and Mira. Apparently for protection, my fiancée slid closer to me, until I could feel her curves through my heavy coat.

Kiba looked at her for a moment, the brown broth dripping comically from his nose. He turned his attention back to Naruto and launched himself directly over the counter, snarling, "Dumbass!" They landed on the ground, Naruto on the bottom. "What the hell gave you the idea to throw _meat _at me?"

"I thought you'd catch it like a nice doggie-tebayo!" Naruto taunted. Idiot. "Besides, you can't beat me, I'm a jounin!"

"I'm better at taijutsu, midget! And I'm stronger!" It didn't matter either way, since they were just wrestling around on the concrete, but it still enraged the blond who had momentarily gained the advantage.

"I've beaten you before, you octopus-head!" he whined. Kiba stood up, taking Naruto with him by the collar. Naruto yelled, "I spar with Sasuke all the time! There's no way you're better!"

"_I_ train with Shino!" Kiba shot back, forgetting about the audience. "He's going to help me become as strong as Tsunade!"

I put my face in my hands. Hinata said, innocently, "Onii-san, that's so noble of you!"

Neji smirked and murmured, "As if anyone could be that strong." Lee smacked him on the arm, making him shut up. Thankfully, both of the idiots calmed down soon enough and, still glaring, sat down. Kiba settled between Hinata and me, leaving Naruto between Mira and Lee as far away as possible.

Mira, still against me, eventually said, "Does that happen very often, Shino-kun?"

"Only with these two megalomaniacs and sometimes between Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke," I reassured her. I saw that everyone was closely observing our interaction with interest, except Kiba, who had gotten over his curiosity to eat.

Lee blinked and looked frantically around the stall. "No one react to what I am about to tell you!" he declared, already causing mild panic. "Kiba-kun, your Beast of Fighting Spirit is missing!"

"Where _is_ Akamaru-san?" Mira asked more calmly.

Kiba shook his head, smiling. "He's getting a bath right now. My sister, Hana, must have called him with a jutsu."

"I hadn't even thought about it, Nii-chan," Hinata said, surprised, "but if it's time for Akamaru's bath, you're going to have a birthday soon!"

All attention immediately focused on Kiba, to my left. Mouth full, he laughed self-consciously and swallowed. "It'll be a bit after the test…"

"How old will you be?" Mira asked. She wasn't very similar to me, the way she continued to speak up.

Neji shook his head. "Seventeen. Such a child. Lee and I are eighteen," he added, for her benefit.

"I'm eighteen, too," she said brightly, bouncing eagerly and rubbing things against me. "So Naruto-san, Hinata-san and Shino-kun are all seventeen, and Inuzuka-san is the youngest." It was just barely there, but she was poking fun at him.

It irritated me slightly; I had always been the one to subtly insult him. Kurenai was very obvious when she did it, snickering behind a hand, and Naruto couldn't 'subtle' his way out of a paper bag. The little twinge took me by surprise.

"Hey!" he warned, chuckling along with everyone else. "If I'm so much younger than you, just call me Kiba-kun. Inuzuka-san sounds like my father!"

Everyone laughed again, except Hinata and me. We both turned to him, an odd symmetry forming on both sides. Kiba's father…it was, to say the least, unusual to hear him brought up in conversation.

Mira said, "Then, may I call the rest of you Hinata-chan, Lee-kun, Neji-kun, and Naruto-kun? I want to make new friends in Konoha." She smiled sweetly and everyone quickly assured her that they were her friends already, and that she could ask them for anything, and she dragged Hinata – across both me and Kiba, so she had to lean into me to do it – into a conversation about wedding… things. I wasn't listening.

Naruto looked up at the sun for a long time, probably thinking. "...Maa! I'm late!" he said at last, jumping up, sitting down, gulping the rest of his ramen, jumping up again, running a few steps, rushing back, kissing Hinata on the cheek, and jumping up to sprint on the rooftops. We all watched him go, used to his antics. Hinata was blushing, to everyone's immense surprise.

Mira said, smiling, "He seems like a very sincere boy."

Thus, Hinata and Mira became close friends.

Two hours later, Kiba had passed out on the table and I had moved to sit next to him on the other side, so that now he and Hinata were between Mira and me. I had quizzed Kiba for a while, but that fell to ruin. How could they still be talking? Kiba gave a little gurgle of pain.

I shook him back to life and stood up. "Mira-chan, little sister, perhaps it would be best if we headed home soon."

"Please," Kiba moaned helpfully.

Hinata looked up and made a sound between an acknowledgement and a whimper. "I have a class to teach in half an hour."

"Lucky you," Kiba and I both deadpanned.

"What's wrong?" Mira asked, looking between the three of us. "I like children, don't you? It can't be that bad."

Hinata shivered. "I have to keep control of forty seven-year-olds for three hours." Reluctantly, she stood to go. Kiba gave her a hug, and I nodded as she waved. Poor Hinata, I knew her well.

"She's going to be eaten alive," Kiba said matter-of-factly.

We walked Mira back to my house. "Mira-chan, from now on, if you would like to go somewhere, just ask me," I said, outside the gate. "Once you know your way around, you may go out alone, but you may become lost before then."

Kiba whistled. "Way to go, Shino! Protect her, that'll get her to like you!"

Mira blushed. "Um, thank you for showing me around today. I made many new friends." She stood, looking pretty, and then ort of leaned closer, expecting something.

"…I'll see you at dinner." I bade her farewell and walked down the street to where Kiba stood, incredulous.

"How could you just leave her standing there?" he said, looking back. "She was practically _begging_ you to kiss her!"

"I hadn't realized."

"How did you not-" he cut himself off, smacked his forehead, and walked faster. "You're so clueless when it comes to something emotional."

I don't know why, but he sounded sad and happy at the same time.

* * *

Kiba and I were walking through the streets, still on edge from a mission two days before, where we had actually had action. Whenever one of our three was in danger, things stayed wound up for much, much longer. Kiba was furious, still, and I was around to stop him from following stupid impulses. He was grumbling about what he would do to any enemy nin he saw (involving a shuriken and a few imaginative orifices). 

"Hey, you remember that Kumo mission a month ago?" he said suddenly. "Didn't it seem a little suspicious? Like, those Suna nin just telling us their village outright?" I looked back at him, startled by the intelligent (if delayed) question. He was more calm now, and gazing at me with a real desire to know my opinion.

"It was suspicious, yes," I conceded, waiting for him to give me a clue as to how much he knew. I had said that much in Tsunade's office already.

He face screwed up in thought. "Well, a ninja's stealth and secrecy are his greatest weapons. Why would they tell us, unless they wanted us to know? And why would they want us to know that Suna is out for Konoha blood? It's just not a good move." I gave him and encouraging look and he added slowly, "So… it probably wasn't really Suna. We need to be looking for people that would want us to go to war against Suna no Kuni. Right?"

I hid a smile behind the collar of my jacket. "So, you're starting to think. I'm rubbing off on you."

"'Cause you spend so much time with me!" he yelled argumentatively.

"So stop hanging around with me." It was meant to be teasing. We always joked around like that, as though we weren't real friends. It was a habit left over from our genin years, when I was still the genius of team eight and he was still an arrogant jerk.

He didn't stop smiling. "If we stopped hanging out, you'd be all reclusive and stop talking altogether!" He was almost skipping beside me, and Akamaru was reacting according to his master's hyperactivity. "After all, I'm the only one you talk to already!"

"Yes, you are," I agreed solemnly. "And now, I'll have to talk to Mira." The idea of confiding in her, a veritable stranger, made my kikaichu squirm beneath my skin. Disgusted, I tried to keep my voice level as I said, "After all, she's going to be my wife."

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, more concerned. "I want you to be happy."

"It will make the clan happy. That's enough." I raised my shoulders, up to my nose in my jacket. Scoffing darkly, I added, "I may grow to love her. I don't know enough yet, either way."

His hand gripped my sleeve, and we stopped. I turned to him, a little disoriented by the serious look he was giving me. The street was crowded, all around us, and the din was somehow overshadowed by the silence. "Shino," he said, low enough for only me to hear. The muscles in my back tensed reflexively. "Don't just _hope_ that you'll fall in love with her. Does she strike you as being your type? I saw you two that day, and there was _zero_ chemistry. She was trying like hell, but you're a clueless wonder."

I shrugged. "It is acceptable for me to be clueless. I've never been in love before."

He glared at me. "You _won't_ love her."

"You believe that I'm going to marry a woman that I don't have the ability to love. You should _hope_," I threw his own word back at him, "that I can be happy with her."

He muttered viciously under his breath for a minute. I had put him in his place, hopefully.

He turned away and stopped, shocked. "Whoa, Sasuke." I looked automatically, and saw why he was surprised.

Now, Uchiha Sasuke was strong. He was first in our rookie class, while I was second. However, besides Naruto, Sasuke had even fewer friends than me. He had a fan club, yes, but he avoided them, and therefore girls, like the plague. This was why his companion was so unusual.

She had black, braided hair, skin as pale as his, rouged lips and cheeks – she looked a lot like him, actually. The major difference was that her eyes were clear grey. And she was grinning like a cat, while Sasuke looked as though he had been sentenced to life in prison.

Kiba stepped in front of the pair, and Sasuke immediately changed directions to avoid us both. The woman grabbed his collar and tugged him back. "Uchiha-kun," she beamed, annoyed, "are these your friends? Will you introduce us?" Sasuke just scowled and looked out at the busy street. Her smile fell a little.

Kiba stepped forward. "Inuzuka Kiba, chuunin. He's Shino."

The introduction, so offhand and informal, clearly took her aback. "Oh, it's nice to meet you, Inuzuka-kun and," she was clearly unsure of what to call me, "um, Shino-san?"

"Aburame Shino," I said, pitying her.

"Right, Aburame-kun." She tugged the collar she was still gripping. "_Say hello to your friends_, Uchiha-kun."

Sasuke looked ready to kill us for witnessing his humiliation. Close enough.

Kiba ignored him and said brightly, "This is the part where _you_ say _your_ name."

"Oh, it's Igumo Itari. I'm on a team with Uchiha-kun."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and condescended to speak. "She's my captain."

"Really?" Kiba yelled, "How old are you?"

I put a hand on his shoulder. "That's rude."

"No problem," she grinned. "I'm twenty."

"Only three years older than us?" Kiba cried. "Ah, Shino, we've wasted our lives away! We won't even be _in_ ANBU until we're her age!"

"You're sixteen for two more months," I reminded him. "And that's still being rude."

He stuck his tongue out at me. "At least I'll be a jounin before seventeen, unlike you!"

Itari snapped her fingers in remembrance. "I've got it! Uchiha-kun, the thing I have to do next month is help with the jounin exams!"

"I told you that. Repeatedly." Sasuke waved her hand away from his shirt and started walking again. "Itari-san, we were on our way to visit Godaime, remember?"

"Yes, yes," she sighed, following after him. "Bye, guys! It was nice meeting you!" And then they had disappeared into the crowds.

Kiba watched them go, oddly serious. After he finished thinking, he started walking, and Akamaru and I caught up. Finally, he slowly voiced his thoughts. "Shino, you could have made jounin with Sasuke. Why didn't you? You could have been ANBU, like them!"

I shrugged. "You wouldn't have had anyone to keep you on-task."

"Is that the only reason?" He looked sad for a bit longer, then shook his head and smiled up at me. The look on his face made my fingers ache. "Never mind, Shino. Of course that's your only reason. Let's go get lunch."

I reached a hand under his ridiculous hood and ruffled his hair. "_I_ would have become reclusive."

Now his eyes lit up with a happy glow and he led the way to the sashimi stand he had no doubt been thinking of since the start of our mission to Kumogakure.

He is so easy to cheer up, sometimes. Or maybe I've gotten better at it, over the years.


	4. Wound

It was dawn and Mira was the only other person awake, as usual. Father had been given a mission a few days before; our trips would be overlapping and I wouldn't see him until my return, forecast on the issued mission scroll as three days from now. I had my overnight bag – Kami-sama, how I hated long missions, one was only allowed one change of clothes – over my shoulder as I easily slipped my sandals on and stood just outside the door.

Mira was somehow fresh and dressed, wearing a warm blue sweater and a purple, loose skirt to her ankles. She had even put on her make-up. All of this to see me off? It was very illogical to me.

"I apologize for leaving you without a host," I said after some time. She was always smiling, eagerly waiting for me to say something profound. It was awkward; I didn't speak unless it was of import. She was always anticipating something that was not going to come to her.

She shook her head, and her thin hands disappeared into her overlong sleeves. "I will use the time to talk more with Hinata-chan, and try to become more comfortable in this village. I will _not_," she emphasized this, looking irritated, "sit in the complex and have cake, like my mother and father."

I nodded. She would keep herself busy, then. "I have asked Hinata to introduce you to anyone you two come across. You will gain friends more quickly in her company."

She smiled brightly, hands fiddling with her skirt and lifting the hem a few inches absently. After another few seconds, she stammered, "Um, may you find glory and peace on your journey."

I bowed and closed the door before she opened her mouth to say more.

* * *

The other members of the five-man team were waiting at the West Gate out of the village. Kiba and I were back-up, as chuunins with excellent records, while the three jounin-level Neji, Lee, and Naruto were the true muscle. Still, the mission was again a low A; the danger stemmed from the enemy's ability to purchase the services of rogue ninja, not any true difficulty. 

As far as I had gathered from the perfunctory mission scroll, there was a rebellion threatening in a village called Bujitaihei on the outskirts of the country, bordering Suna. We were ordered to kill any that attacked us, but the main target would be the leader of the organization.

As I approached them, I saw that Kiba had dragged Naruto to a food stall and was on his knees, begging desperately for some of the rice balls being sold. Naruto knew the rules, but he wasn't as good at denying Kiba as I was. Walking past, I caught the fringe around Kiba's hood and lifted him up.

When his feet touched the ground properly, he grinned and started walking with me, leaving Naruto behind. "So, Shino, you're leaving poor Mira-chan all alone?"

"Only for a day or so, until Father returns. She tells me that she will be with Hinata. She will be out of trouble." I shrugged, and watched as Naruto skipped past us to rejoin Neji and Lee.

"And, therefore, she's taken care of?" Kiba laughed, guessing the rest of my thoughts.

Neji, the agreed-upon leader of the team - he didn't leave room for arguments - called, "Hurry up. We're going to leave without you."

Saved from a response, I hefted my bag into a more comfortable position and ran to catch the jounins up.

* * *

We were in the middle of a forest, toward dark. The village was just over a mile away; we would wake at dawn and get there before the shops opened. Tonight we would be sleeping wherever we managed to find an acceptably pillow-like rock. 

Lee went out to collect wood - or, the Fuel of the Warmth for our Hearts - and Naruto was using twenty shadow clones to catch fish in a nearby river. Kiba was setting up the tents, and, as 'leader' of the sub-team of chuunins, I was being briefed in full on the mission.

"Obviously, Lee, Naruto, and I can't be used for getting information, because we have specific traits that stand out," Neji was saying. Lee was simply a social anomaly; Naruto was loud, rambunctious, and had three scars on either cheek that didn't go away even with a disguise; Neji's Byakugan eyes were flat-out creepy. They would be remembered.

"You and Kiba will have to ask around for the resistance's headquarters. We need to verify the given information, as well. Numbers, names, weapons. A floor plan may be a bit too much to hope for. That is all for tomorrow; we will attack tomorrow night. If you run into trouble..."

"I will leave a kikai with you, and it will react if I use my chakra," I finished for him. "You will know."

"Good." He paused, and looked at Kiba, twenty yards away. Akamaru was helping him pull a rope taut. He dropped his voice and continued, "The others and I have voted you to be the one to explain why Akamaru cannot accompany you tomorrow."

I sighed. "One would assume that he is used to it, by now."

"Good luck. We'll be cooking dinner when he stops yelling." He lifted a hand and retreated to a safe distance.

Kami-sama, this was _always_ my job. "Oi, Kiba."

He turned around, tugging the last knot tight with his teeth. "Nneah?"

"Drop it and come here," I commanded, feeling stupid. When he was closer, I started with the easy part. "Tomorrow, we'll be gathering information for the others to use in an attack at night. You will need to disguise these," I rubbed a thumb across one of the red clan marks.

"Not everyone is as bad as Naruto with disguises, Shino," he snickered.

"It would be better if you were a girl," I commented after a moment of thought. "You would be less threatening, and we could be 'on a date'."

He grinned and pitched his voice higher. "'_Hello, random stranger. Know where any rebellious guys are? I like a man with a chip on his shoulder!'_ Like that?"

"Not at all. Nice try though, imbecile." I rubbed the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes and lifting the sunglasses. Before I could stop myself, I said, "And Akamaru isn't coming."

"What?" Kiba yelped, wounded. "But I fight with him! He's part of our team!"

"He is a giant beast that is ready to tear out the throat of anyone to threaten you."

He gave me a blank stare. "...I know that...?"

"He isn't coming. It would be like leaving your tattoos visible through the illusion."

He took his hands to his cheeks and whimpered, "Not my markings, too! I get to keep those, if you get Akamaru!"

I waved my hand vaguely, discarding this. "Now you're just trying to play the pity card. Don't be thick."

He sniffled, and then the almost-tears were gone as he switched tactics. He pointed to my face and yelled, "You can't stick out, either! No glasses, no giant jacket thing!"

My eyes narrowed, and, in a scolding tone, and I said, "The glasses are not conspicuous on a first meeting. And, unlike you, I thought ahead. I _knew_ that I would have to blend in with normal people. _I_ am prepared. _You_ are not. Akamaru stays and your cheeks will be clean tomorrow morning."

He pouted and grumbled to himself, whistling between his teeth to call Akamaru to him. I left them to their conversation - and probable hatred of me, at least until dinner was ready - and went to sit with the other men. They had retrieved water from Naruto's fishing hole, I gathered, because there was a pot over the fire to boil it clean before anyone used the pot for food preparation.

It was always my job to put Kiba in his place, because he only really listened to me. But, sometimes, it was difficult, the way he would be cowed once I lost patience and lectured him over something. Somehow, he always forgave me. Was it possible for him to forgive me for correcting him? Whatever it was, things were back to normal between us within hours of anything major.

Apparently, I was stewing, because Naruto was the one that ventured to disturb me. "Um, Shino, we're sorry about having you tell Kiba off...datte bayo..."

Neji spoke up where Naruto trailed off. "We can't afford to have him hate any of us for the rest of our lives. He always gets over it, if it's you."

"I agree with that statement," I said, distantly.

"It is through the Bond of Youthful Respect, Friendship and Love!" Lee declared. When he jumped into his customary 'good guy' pose, teeth shining in a smile, Naruto arbitrarily got up and did it, as well. "Also, Naruto-kun has Valiantly Suggested that our Method of Team Recognition be the Trademark of my beloved Gai-sensei!"

Use the good guy pose as a password? Well, no one would copy it, out of respect for their egos... "Naruto, your reasoning," Neji prompted, irritated.

Naruto broke the stance to put his hand behind his head, laughing nervously. "I can never remember long things, and after seeing _that_ for four years, I know how the pose is done, for sure..."

Neji closed his pale eyes. "When Lee suggested it for our genin team, after he was being personally trained by Gai-sensei, both Tenten and I were firmly against such a ridiculous thing. And for what, if it is to be employed here? It will only set precedence, and Lee will be impossible in the future." He opened them again and looked at me. "Shino-kun?"

"I refuse." I took the water out of the pot and set it down to cool, stoking the fire to a point that it could cook the can of high-protein soup that was issued as rations.

"We will not use it," Neji nodded. The other jounins deflated and sat back down.

"Hey," Kiba greeted us quietly. He sat down next to me, burrowing into his coat. I passed a piece of jerked meat to him wordlessly, and it disappeared into his hood. Between small gnawing sounds, he said, "Akamaru's hunting for himself. He'll have to get used to it, if I have to leave him behind so much..."

I leaned closer until our shoulders touched. Trying not to be overheard, I murmured near where I assumed his ear was, "I apologize. He still trusts you to come back. It's nothing that he doesn't understand and forgive."

"Yeah, it's just..." he resurfaced, and sighed. "Both of us have had to forgive and understand a lot lately."

"Forgive what?" I asked, a little before my mind caught up with me. _Of course_ it was about whatever Kiba was doing that had been worrying Hinata on the date with Mira more than two weeks ago. Something was going on, and I shouldn't talk about it. Not here, at least.

"Nothing. It'll get easier, I'm sure." He grinned up at me, and then called, "You're making our dinner, right, Naruto? Get to work, chibi!"

"Dammit, Kiba, stop calling me names or I'm gonna kick your ass!" Naruto yelled back immediately, dropping the spoon he was holding straight into the soup with an innocent slopping sound. "Whaaa! Look what you made me do, dog-boy!"

"How is your clumsiness my fault?" Kiba sneered, and took the last bite of the jerky. "You should get that back out quickly. Too much of that steel stuff will stunt your growth even more."

"Ahh!" Naruto dove for the pot, now over the open flame – idiot – but was stopped by Neji's hand on his shoulder. Neji's eyes strained, using the Byakugan to identify where the spoon was exactly, and then he did a few hand signals.

All of us tensed at the palpable chakra in the air, and a bug clawed its way out of my hand accompanied by a twinge of pain. I closed my eyes and _flew closer for a better view. Neji's chakra focused, and I saw the electric blue energy wrap around the metal spoon and draw it out. It hung in the air, beside him, before whipping around to smack Naruto in the forehead._

I released the jutsu over my kikai as everyone immediately started laughing. Neji just shook his head, lectured the blond about being more careful, and passed the pot around for each of us to get a bite in turn. The fish were speared and set over the fire next.

* * *

"What are you three doing tomorrow?" Kiba asked after the food was gone and Lee was off getting more wood (so as to Stave Off the Villainies of the Night). The three tents he had set up with Akamaru each had room for two sleeping rolls, so we had paired off: Neji and Lee; Kiba and I; and Naruto would have room to splay out, as he always did. 

Neji was brushing his hair, to be bound in its loose tie before he slept. No one dared comment on it. He answered, "We will train. I, at least, will be thinking of the strategies required tomorrow night. I have a scroll to deliver to a jounin, Koburon Gyo, within the operation. Konoha hasn't been able to contact him recently, part of the reason for the decision to take it out."

Naruto, half-asleep already, said, "I'm going to be fishing some more. That was fun. You and Lee can do what you like, but I'll take care of food."

Lee returned, claiming to have been attacked by a bear or large animal of some kind. The night was active for a few minutes more. Once everything had settled down again, I offered to take first watch.

"No, Shino-kun. You and Kiba are going to be well-rested for tomorrow. Naruto, Lee and I will take care of it."

Kiba shook his head and pointed to where Akamaru lay happily at his feet. "Akamaru can do it. He'll be useful, at least."

Neji thought for a moment, and conceded the point. We withdrew to the tents, and I took off my heavy jacket to use as a pillow. Kiba was doing the same. After, we simply lay there in the dark.

I knew that he was still angry with me for Akamaru. I decided that he would be over it by morning. I lay for a long time without moving, listening to the whispers coming from the tent next to us. They sounded as though I didn't really need to know the words to know what each phrase meant.

I must have seemed unconscious. I heard Kiba slowly slide his hand across the six-inch gap and rest the tips of his fingers against my lower arm. He left them there, and I heard his breathing even out as he fell asleep.

I didn't get very much sleep again.

* * *

I opened my eyes to complete darkness. My kikaichu were lethargic; by experience, it was about half an hour before dawn. I took off my glasses, rubbed the bridge of my nose and behind my ears, and replaced them, before reaching over to flick Kiba on the nose. 

He made a face and was about to say something before he froze. His fingers pushed a little bit harder against my arm experimentally before he surreptitiously drew his hand back. "Shino…um, what do you need?"

I sat up and half-crawled out of the tent opening. There was Akamaru, sniffing listlessly at a _Cicindela sexguttata_, the six-spotted tiger beetle common to forest paths and clearings such as ours. I left him to terrorize the insect as I crossed to my bag and removed my change of clothing from it.

Common sense dictated that any ninja carry a set of clothes that would help him blend in with local fauna. I took off the mesh shirt and pants that I wore, carefully folding them and replacing them in the bag. I then pulled a sleeveless white top on and buttoned a dark brown long-sleeved shirt over it, and finished with jeans that had only been worn three times.

Kiba came out – finally – and stopped. He stared at me for a moment before he said, "Where did you get those clothes? I didn't think you owned any besides your battle costume. I mean, you would wear that really weird pantsuit thing and try to gel your hair down but you just looked incredibly dweebish."

"You mentioned, many times," I reminded him bitterly. "I believe that you nearly suffocated while laughing in each instance."

He snickered. "Yeah, you just looked _that_ funny." He pulled out his own change of clothes and started changing.

"I grew out of those clothes." I dragged a hand through my wild hair. "It will not be good for the mission if I look…'weird'," I said uncomfortably.

He tugged a green polo shirt on, and stopped to look at me. "Um, I'm gonna do the illusion now, okay?" When I nodded, I felt his chakra focus and he formed five consecutive hand signs. With a small sound, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and when it cleared…

My brows furrowed. "What the hell?"

Kiba was standing in front of me; there was no doubt about that. But his messy brown hair was now _long_ and his green shirt was green and down to his knees as a dress. And he had breasts. Right, those.

"What the hell?" I said again. I couldn't think of anything else.

Cheeks, clean of the red clan marks, turned pink and he looked away. "You said it would be easier if I was a chick. And you look kinda dressed up to just walk around the city. It'll be more natural this way."

I opened my mouth, but shook my head and gathered what I would need; a few blades stashed here and there, at least one roll of gauze for Kiba, and money. When I turned back, he was inspecting the tall heels that were part of his illusion. He took a few wobbling steps, grinned, said, "This is easier than women claim," and fell onto his face.

He sat up and looked at them again. With a sigh, he released the jutsu and stayed there in the dirt. "Okay, the shoes aren't going to work for the walk to the village, but I'll get the hang of them there. I have pretty good balance."

"Yes, you do," I agreed. I motioned for us to go, and he scratched Akamaru behind the ears, as though they had already said enough about the thing from the night before. He took off down the path, humming to himself, and I watched as he walked. He was always light on his feet. It wasn't that he had balance; it was more a form of instinctive grace. It was a part of him, nothing more.

After a mile of constant chatter from him, he changed back into his girl-alias and tottered out onto the paved street. He faltered, and I offered my arm to him. As the minutes passed, I would feel him leaning on me less and less, and finally we were just strolling down the street, in time for breakfast.

We were sitting on a wooden bench in a green park, eating a sweet pastry that was a favorite here. He seemed to think of something and swallowed hastily. "Oi, Shino…" he coughed. When he began again, his was more airy and he used the female speaking style. "Um, you aren't good at people, right? Just let me talk, and go along with anything I say. It'll be better, anyway."

I just nodded absently, thinking. Eventually, I said, "We will not advertise ourselves as a couple on a date, I assume."

"It's just, I'll be able to talk with some of the people more easily if I can flirt with them," he shrugged.

"I'm going to go ahead and ask," I finally said. "Why do you think that you will be good at flirting with men?" I looked at him a moment. He did look pretty, for a girl; if it was Sakura, she would be able to get the information easily. He didn't have the instincts of a woman and had no experience, though. Actually, "Have you ever tried to do something like that?"

He reached up to his shoulder, and began to finger the new hair resting there. "Um, I haven't, per say," he admitted, looking away. "I know the mechanics of it. Basically, the guy has to believe that, in the near future, the girl is willing to sleep with him, right? Then, he'll say a lot of things to get her there."

I shrugged in vague agreement. "I have never been flirted with. I don't understand."

"You're excluding Mira," he said, giggling. "She was all over you."

"I didn't get the impression that she wanted to have sex with me."

He put his face into his hands and took a deep breath. "She was leaning into you for half an hour. You didn't feel anything _rubbing against you_?"

"Oh," I said at length. "That was flirting?"

"_Yes_, Shino, that was flirting. That's why it's better if you're my brother or something, and you disappear quickly if I get into a good conversation." He looked at me for a minute longer and pressed, "Alright?"

I nodded, now thinking of the date. "I apologize for calling you," I said offhandedly.

He blinked, and answered, "Why wouldn't you? Did you have any idea of what to do?"

"No…but it was a date. And you were more quiet than usual." I stopped, and decided that I would have to ask at some point. "You were distressed about something. Wasn't it my fault?"

"Not your fault," he smiled, shaking his head. "Don't mind me. I won't worry you again."

"You will tell me about it if it gets any worse," I commanded.

He looked at me, smiling that sad smile of his. "I'll tell you at some point. Okay?"

He really can't lie to me. I let it go.

The food was gone. He stretched his arms into the air, and rearranged…himself. It amazed me that he was so comfortable looking like a woman. He finally said, "Okay, I need practice acting like a chick. You're going to help me."

"I told you, I don't know anything about flirting."

"Little things that I can fix, I mean. I'm trying to remember to use girl words, and I can manage with the heels. What else?" As he spoke, he turned a circle in front of me, arms to the side.

"The way you stand," I said.

Kiba's shoulders were slumped over, and I had seen him trying to put his hands in pockets that weren't on any dress. He shifted until his back was straighter, but something about it wasn't right. I stood up next to him and put a hand at the base of his neck, pulling back on his shoulder. It forced his…his bust out more. Better. He walked around a bit, easily.

"I need to practice flirting. You are going to respond normally," he pointed at me. "Right. Hi, I'm Ki…damn. I need a name. Kiba's not a chick name. Kiyu's better. I'm Kiyu, but you can call me Ki-chan." He winked, and smiled.

I hesitated. What was I supposed to say? "I'm…"

"…Some random person…" he supplied.

"…and you're…pretty?" He rolled his eyes at me, and I became defensive. "What am I supposed to say?"

"You could invite me over to your friends, or something."

"Do you want to come talk with us?" I said in a monotone, trying to bear with it.

"Of course," he squealed, and mimed a little skip to where my 'friends' were. "Then I start talking about politics, or something. What do you guys think of the new laws that the government is passing?"

"They are…not good," I guessed, at a loss now.

He flashed a thumbs-up at me and continued, "Then I get one of them alone, and I say something like, 'So, what do you do for fun around here?'"

I was silent for too long. When he scuffed at the ground with his heel, I said, "Is this when he tells you what we need?"

"No, then he'll say something stupid, like all the fun things involve me and him and alcohol." I could see him writing out the script, in his mind. "So I say that I think a guy that fights for what he believes in is hot, and _then_ he tells me."

"Are you sure that will work?" I asked, morbidly fascinated with this new science of flirting.

Kiba shrugged. "Not really. I can try. There's no guarantee that I'll be able to spot a rebellious kid arbitrarily." He glanced around, at the small park and the major road. "Oh, look at that."

I looked where he pointed. There was a group of five men around our age, giving off the aura of a patrol of the area. There was no doubt that they were carrying hidden weapons. "And you're going to try?"

He was already walking toward them. I sent a kikai to keep watch over him. When it landed on his shoulder, he turned and smiled.

He talked to them for a little while. One of them, apparently the leader, separated Kiba from the group and was being suggestive. When Kiba mentioned fighting for one's ideals, the target got suspicious and I walked up to them. I introduced myself as 'Kiyu-chan's' brother and firmly steered my 'sister' away.

"Right, that went well," he grinned.

"I thought he was about to attack you."

"Well, besides that. This is doable." He held his first two fingers up happily.

A woman, whom I had seen walking near the group of men, called out to us. "Excuse me! Did you say your name is Kiyu? I want to speak with you!"

We stopped, and I kept my peace. I had been told not to talk, after all. Kiba stepped forward and said, "I'm Kiyu. What do you need?"

The woman approached more slowly. She was about thirty, and had a four-year-old boy holding her hand. Her blonde hair was in a quick knot at the back of her hair, and she was dressed with rich fabrics. When she got very close, she said in a whisper, "Were you asking about the rebellion that my father is planning?"

And the day only went uphill from there.

* * *

Hah. Okay, so my favorite part was when Shino picked Kiba up and Kiba just started walking with him. It was a random thing. Would _you_ do something like that? I don't know what it means. I thought of it and wrote it down, that's all. Cute. 

Oh, and Kiba as a girl. I'm not so good at the flirting thing either. I was mostly guessing, but so was Kiba. He was just...generalizing a bit. Yeah. No idea what he was doing whatsoever.


	5. That

Alright, I'm warning you now. The last chapter was cute, but this chapter is _more_ cute. We're talking lethal doses. Oh, and you all remember the woman that stopped 'Kiyu' at the end last chapter, don't you? Yes, Original Female Character in this chapter, and son.

* * *

**T**he woman knelt in the center of the large room, and Kiba/Kiyu was a few yards in front of her. I sat to the side, near the wall; I had not been noticed formally, so I was staying back. Interrogration was not my area of expertise. Kiba was on his own. I knew that he could take care of himself. 

"I am Toudai Narame, wife of Toudai Otoyo, second in command of the organization," she said in a fluttery, nervous voice. "I am mother to Muyon, and daughter of Hotundoro Seijirou… the leader of the organization."

Kiba smiled, and his feminine face looked sweet and innocent. Beneath the changed bone structure, I recognized the expression he wore when he tried to coax his mother into a favor. "I am Shoruno Kiyu, sister of Shoruno Chouji." I saw him flash a maniacal grin at me for the name he had given. Akimichi Chouji was a chuunin that graduated the same year as we had, and ate constantly. We could not have been more different.

Narame nodded and asked, "Why did you want to know about the rebellion?" She shook her head at Kiba's warning look and revised, "As long as you plan to stop it, I will help you in any way."

Kiba and I shared a look, and I nodded. He conceded aloud, "We _are_ trying to stop the rebellion." He paused, and continued, "Why are you going against your father and husband, Toudai-san?" Good; her reason would lend either validity or doubt to later information. Kiba was thinking.

The woman smiled and said, "Otoyo, my husband, has been trying to keep my father from turning this into radical protesting or guerrilla warfare, and failed. I also hope that this town will not become the center of a battlefield. If Otoyo was killed…" her voice broke, and she swallowed a tiny sob. "I want this to stop. I don't care who the two of you really are, I will help you do whatever it takes to stop my father from acting."

Kiba smirked at me. Yes, I acknowledged with a shrug, the flirting had led us to information.

"I only have one thing to ask you," Narame said. "When do you plan to move?"

"Tonight." Kiba was trying to seem open and trusting with a new informant.

It was quiet while she thought about this. "Will you grant me a favor?" she asked.

* * *

**W**e stood at the edge of camp, Kiba having released the illusion on the walk back. Naruto was passed out on the ground, stomach distended with fish and six clones fighting over the remaining mountain of food. Neji and Lee were coming through a stand of trees, having been alerted to our return by Akamaru and my kikai. 

"Did you find anything?" Neji prompted. His hair was out of its binding, and I ignored it. None of my business.

Kiba slipped past the Naruto clones and took a handful of fish, tossing a few to me. He sat on the edge of the fire circle and held one of his four remaining up for Akamaru to hunker down next to him and descend upon. Mouth already full, he said, "We met a woman that gave us a bunch of info about almost everything. We have names, and numbers, _and_ a floor plan," he winked. "And then she gave us pictures to match."

"Who is this Angel of Helpfulness and Factoids?" Lee glittered, striking a pose, as always. Naruto stood up and did it, too, though it appeared that he was still unconscious.

Kiba was devouring his last fish, and smacked his lips before explaining. "Her name is Toudai Narame. She's the leader guy's daughter, and the second-in-command guy's wife. She's helping us."

Neji's expression didn't change, but his eyes narrowed. "Why is she-"

"We can trust her," I reassured him.

He looked from me to Kiba, curled into a ball with his dog like a yin-yang symbol. "Alright. Shino-kun, give me the information. We'll move in tonight–"

I interrupted him again. "Toudai-san asks that we delay the attack until tomorrow night. She is going to save her husband, who feels as she does."

"That isn't dangerous? It could compromise everything," Neji asked, voice still forcibly neutral. We had gone somewhat out of our parameters.

"We can trust her," I insisted. "We can also establish an alibi, if we're going to need one. I think that we should spend tonight and tomorrow night in a hotel, and then use the fact that no one will see us leave tomorrow night to our advantage."

Neji looked at me for a long time, and I felt him trying to weigh my own judge of character. Finally, he nodded, and we all worked to pack up the camp. Naruto had to be scolded away from trying to carry fifty pounds of his beloved fish.

* * *

**T**hat night, I sped through dinner at the moderate inn we had selected and went up to Kiba's and my shared room without a word. On away missions, I stole my time alone whenever I could get it. I had never been very social, and being around other people all day and all night was liable to kill me. Everyone else knew it, and they stayed away as much as possible. Kiba especially had learned early when to give me space. 

I changed into my pajama pants and focused my chakra. Carefully putting one foot in front of the other, I walked up the wall and onto the ceiling. Upside down, I hooked my arms behind my head and pulled myself up in a crunch. I lowered myself, keeping my chakra under control. Up, down. Falling into a pattern, I freed my mind up in order to think properly.

Why was Kiba so interested in my marriage? I understood that he was my friend. Alright, my best friend. But he was..._too_ worried about it. He was continually asking about whether I loved Mira or not. Perhaps it was simply a different way of watching out for me. I had helped him through a few relationships over the years; he and Haruno Sakura had tried for a few weeks, but that had ended in flames. Still, that meant that he had kissed someone before, and he held that over my head like a concrete block.

I lowered myself for what felt like the hundredth time and came eye-level with Kiba's red clan marks. Surprised, I released my chakra and dropped onto one hand, keeping my balance until I could bring my feet to the floor. After I was standing properly, I faced Kiba for a moment. I watched as his eyes went from my face, to the ground, and back. They seemed to do that quite often; I had also noticed it while on the Kumo mission so long ago. He turned away to dress for bed, and I set my hand on Akamaru's head comfortably, watching the muscles of Kiba's lower back stretching and bunching.

"Sorry I couldn't give you longer," he commented eventually, finished changing and turning back around. "Naruto and Lee had a drinking contest, and Neji nearly had a fit. Lee's a rambunctious guy with some sake in him. The two dumbasses combined got us thrown out of the restaurant downstairs and I helped Neji carry them both up after we had to knock them out."

He tossed me a roll, chewing on his own and dropping one for Akamaru. As the dog's back slipped under my fingertips, I shrugged and bit down. After swallowing the bite, I conceded, "I have plenty of alone time in Konoha. And time with just you isn't as bad." I raised my eyebrow at the considering look on his face, but his smile returned and he passed me to rest his hands on the windowsill.

"The roof's flat, you know," he commented offhandedly. "You want to spar? No weapons, though. We'll have to be quiet." When I shrugged and followed him, he sat halfway out of the window and pulled himself up to his feet outside. I saw him heave himself up, pointing his toes as they left the wood, stiffening the muscles all through his body while his arms strained.

I climbed out as well, but I was taller than Kiba and the edge of the concrete was shoulder-height, an easy climb. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my friend, looking out over the soft lights of the small town, was peaceful. I was unusually cold, even though it was a summer's night; I was more accustomed to wearing my jacket than I had anticipated, apparently. At least I had pants on. Kiba only had his shorts.

Without talking, we moved two foot-lengths apart and sank into the fighting stances drilled into our souls since birth. I took a deep breath and focused, unconsciously stirring the kikaichu. He was slowly shifting his weight from leg to leg, excited. It had been three days since our last fight, longer than usual.

I started us off, lifting my front foot and replacing it with the other, moving forward enough to aim a straight kick for his stomach. Prepared, he grabbed my ankle with his hand and lifted it over his shoulder. I leaned with it, relaxing the hip joint until I was almost doing the splits, and punched at his face.

He let my leg go as he jumped back to avoid my fist, and I caught myself before I fell with one hand down. As I managed to get my feet below me, he was suddenly behind me and wrapping an arm around my waist. He lifted me up, and I grabbed his neck with my hand, swinging my legs up to change my center of balance.

He grunted, near my ear. "Putting on weight?"

"Too weak to lift me? Do we need to do more push-ups?" I kicked out, forcing him to overbalance. I landed on my feet and curled my back, rolling him over me and holding his head up before it hit the hard concrete. As he tried to stand up, I pressed my knee into his ribs and pushed him down.

He coughed once, and glared. "Shino, I have a question. After your alone time, you're always more sedate. It's your calming-down time. Why are more vicious now?"

"Maybe you didn't give me enough time?" I suggested, easing off and sitting next to him.

"Nah, you would've just stalked away belligerently." He leaned back on his hands, taking a deep breath and sighing. "I think that maybe you're worried about this whole marriage thing." I slowly turned to frown at him. Oblivious, he went on, "I think that you aren't as indifferent about this as you want to show."

"It's _fine_." He always pushed things until I was angry. He never, ever learned.

"You like being alone. When will you ever get that if you're married to someone you don't even know?"

I grabbed his shoulder and shoved it down, leaning most of my weight on it. "Are you trying to talk me out of marrying her?" I hissed. Our faces were inches apart. He stopped breathing, judging by the way it stopped brushing along my cheek.

Very, very quietly, he whispered, "No." I held him there for a moment longer and then rolled onto my back, facing the stars. He grabbed for my arm, and his fingers were cold from the night air. "I'm _sorry_, Shino. I just don't want you to make this choice based on your clan, and not yourself."

I stood up and headed down toward our window. "You're freezing. We're going to sleep."

I didn't have to look to know that he was following.

* * *

**K**iyu and Chouji, or Kiba and I, went back to Narame's home the next day. She greeted us with a bright smile, looking as though she had slept the night before for the first time in years. Her son was perched on her hip, an arm around his back. He was tugging gently on her ear. "Hello, Kiyu-chan, Chouji-kun," she hummed brightly. "Please, come in. You're always welcome here." 

She brought us into the kitchen and sat the boy on a counter. I was trying desperately to remember his name –Moron? – no, that was definitely not right. Narame took out different fruits and set them next ot her son, holding with the kitchen knife away from him. The different foods came to pieces under her blade. "I told Otoyo last night when he returned home. He's going to be back around noon. After that…" the chopping slowed, her smile disappeared, and then she came back to life and said, "Kiyu-chan, will you please help me cut this melon?"

Kiba moved around her to the opposite side and rolled the proffered melon closer. When she nodded her thanks and turned back to me, Kiba shot me a look and turned the knife backwards over his hand, the sharp edge across his wrist, and caught it again in the space of a second. I turned my head, trying not to laugh. I kept from smiling, at least. "What will you do after that?" Kiba encouraged.

The child scooted from the edge next to his mother toward me. He was staring at me. Morun? That was still wrong. A line of mucus was running from his nose to his mouth, and he wiped at it with his hand and wrist.

The woman wasn't smiling anymore. "I don't care what happens. I don't want to know. I'll hear about it tomorrow, and I'll cry, and then life will move on." She pulled a peach from the pile, the knife biting in to the core and her hand twisting in a full circle. The two pieces came apart cleanly.

"And you're sure that Otoyo-san isn't going to tell anyone, at all?" Kiba prodded, emptying the seeds from the halves into a bowl that she slid over to him. "It's really important."

"He is going to tell one man," she said quietly. "They have been trying to stop it, together."

I saw Kiba's grip on the knife change into one of attack on instinct; it flipped in the air and he caught it, tip down, fist tight. He wasn't thinking about it, but it was a trained response to a threat. I said, "Who? Do you trust them not to tell?"

"I trust him with my life, and Moyun's." I nearly smacked my forehead at the trivial little detail that had been driving me insane. At the sound of his name, Moyun finally looked away from me and back at his mother, who popped a fat grape into his mouth. She finished, "His name is Koburon Gyo."

Kiba raised his eyebrows. I knew that he was trying to remember where he had heard the name. An insect crawled from my wrist and flew to Kiba's ear. Through it, I projected, _"He's that jounin. Neji contacted him yesterday. We need to know how they knew to talk to him, and if he's told them that he's from Konoha…"_ Kiba tugged at his ear, understanding, and my bug returned.

It entered through my neck, and Moyun was staring blankly at me again. His head tilted to the side, and mine tilted as well, almost without my knowledge. He suddenly squealed with laughter, pointing and shouting for his mother to see. Narame giggled, embarrassed, and gave Moyun another grape to slurp over.

She pushed all the fruit into a main serving bowl. Without looking at Kiba, she asked, "Kiyu-chan, have you finished with that melon?"

Kiba hadn't been doing anything but looking amused at my exchange with the four-year-old. He switched his grip back to normal quickly and, in the five seconds before she looked, had the flesh separated from the rind and everything in little cubes.

"Thank you," Narame said, none the wiser. Everything was in the bowl, now, and she pulled a carton of yogurt from the refrigerator. That was mixed in as well, and she invited us to eat breakfast with her.

We ate quietly, with only a few minor spills and upsets from Moyun. Finally, the meal was over and Kiba said, "I want to ask you a bit more about Koburon-san."

She nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry to ask this, but, Chouji-kun," it took me a moment to look up from Moyun's staring contest, "will you take Moyun out to the garden? He won't be able to sit still in here. I'll talk with Kiyu-chan."

I opened my mouth in shock. What was I supposed to do with him? What if something happened, or he fell down, or he just started crying? I couldn't take care of a child! I shot a panicked look at Kiba, who had already keeled over laughing. No help from him, then.

Narame apologized repeatedly. "It's just that you and he get along so well… You really have a way with children, Chouji-kun!"

Stifling sniggers, Kiba taunted, "Yeah, _Onii-san_. You have a truly open personality!"

I shook my head at him and stood, picking up the oozing boy by the underarms and holding him at arm's length. "Does the screen door at the end of the main hallway lead to the gardens?" I asked carefully. Moyun's hand waved happily, trying to touch my face.

"Yes, just down there. Thank you for this."

I turned to glare at Kiba, just as Moyun's fingers closed over one lens of my glasses and tugged them off. I nearly dropped him, in all honesty. I was too shocked to close my eyes immediately – it didn't occur to me. The only one who could see was Kiba, and what was that, really? He had wanted to see for years…and, even though I had insisted that he be my equal, this was close enough, wasn't it?

When I gained the presence of mind to look at him, his hands were pressed tightly over his eyes.

I wrested my glasses from Moyun and wiped them off before putting them back on. Without another word, I took the enormously entertained boy outside and set him in front of a pile of rocks to…hit together, or something. He was content for now.

I didn't have anything to do, so I opened my mouth and let everything escape into the air. Anything about Mira, and Kiba, and Hinata, and Neji, and Lee, and Naruto... I let it evaporate, and forced myself to stop thinking about any problems. They didn't exist to me anymore. Because if there isn't anything to fix, there must not be a problem underneath it...

When Kiba came to stand just outside the door, I rose from the ground and called for Moyun to come with me. He had attempted to disobey me a few times over the course of our hour, but he had learned his lesson. He ran to me and grabbed for a few of my fingers.

"Hey there, family man," Kiba chuckled. "I've got what we need. I'll tell you later." He jerked his head towards the door and mouthed, _"She doesn't know about the others."_

I went in first, and handed Moyun to his mother. "It was nice to meet you, Toudai-san and Moyun-kun," I said, bowing. Kiba did a cross between a bow and a nod.

"Hug, 'Ji!" Moyun demanded, and flung himself onto me, gripping my long-sleeved shirt for all he was worth. I supported him as best I could, while at the same time trying to pry him away. Narame took him back, smiling widely.

"I hope that you will come back sometime," she said warmly. As we were turning to go, she added, "And congratulations on your engagement, Chouji-kun."

I turned to Kiba, who shrugged. After more good-byes we were out on the street, and I said, "Was it really necessary to tell her about Mira?"

"I figured that it was only fair. We were just sort of chatting, and she said, 'I know that you and Chouji-kun aren't brother and sister.' So I got a little defensive, and she laughed and said, 'It's just that you two don't act like siblings.' And I _had_ to ask what that meant, so she said that we acted more like we're going out." He leaned his head back to look at the gathering clouds in the sky. From a few inches above him, I could see that he was smiling. "I just set her straight."

It struck me for a moment to wonder what Kiba had said about Mira. But I discarded the thought.

* * *

**W**e returned and knocked on Neji and Lee's door. They hadn't left, since they were trying to keep a low profile in town. Naruto was inside, and answered it; Lee and Neji were meditating. As they came back to themselves, Kiba flopped down on the bed and Akamaru leapt at him, practically smothering his master. 

Neji said, "What is your report?"

Kiba was falling asleep again. I said, "Toudai-san told her husband, who told Koburon Gyo."

"How did he know to do that?"

I sat next to Kiba and prodded him awake. He yawned and kept his eyes closed. "Gyo is posing as one of the rogue ninjas that were hired. He approached Otoyo and suggested that they try to keep the organization peaceful. They've been working together for a few months. "

"He'll know about the attack being delayed, then. Good. That's all; go back to your rooms and rest. Lee and I will plan out an attack, and we'll brief you three on it at sundown," Neji instructed.

Lee nodded vigorously and did his pose. He had been forbidden from talking because of his tendency to yell, as had Naruto. It was also partially a punishment for drinking on a mission; Neji still looked annoyed.

Kiba dragged himself upright and stumbled across the corridor and into our room. He was asleep by the time I got there, on my bed. I saw him smile happily and snuggle the pillow, and let him be.

Instead, I sat against the wall and held out my hand for Akamaru. He padded over to me cheerfully and stretched out on the ground.

I scratched him for a long time, and then wondered why Kiba always fell asleep against him. I lay my head on Akamaru's stomach, and the warmth and steady rhythm of his breathing was actually quite relaxing. I closed my eyes and slept…

After all, we had a busy night ahead of us.

* * *

Okay, I know, there was angst in there, too. Oh, and you'll meet Gyo next chapter. 

Gods, but I love writing cute things.


	6. Cannot

And now the thrilling conclusion of the Narame arc! There's violence, I promise. Not very much fluff, though.

* * *

It was sunset. We were in Neji and Lee's room, as appointed. Naruto was happily bouncing up and down, both hands over his mouth to stop from yelling with his pre-mission energy, and Lee had sparkles in his eyes. There was a thick, palpable tension in every breath, and all of us were feeling it. 

Except Neji. He stood before the two beds in the room, calm and confident. On the ground free of clothes and any other clutter (Neji was slightly obsessive about cleanliness), all the information and documents were spread out. "Are you listening? We'll go over the plan. Feel free to ask any questions; it is imperative that we all understand exactly what is going to happen."

Kiba waved his hand. Neji raised an eyebrow. Kiba said, "I hafta go potty, Neji-sensei!" Naruto smothered his laughter with one hand, and his other instantly rose to add to the delightful conversation.

"The base is on the outskirts of town, in the warehouse section," Neji began, ignoring both of the idiots. "There are two entrances, heavily guarded. Koburon Gyo, the jounin posing as one of the ninja-for-hire, is at the east entrance, here," he pointed to the appropriate area on the floor plan that Kiba and I had received from Narame, "and will be expecting Lee and I to rendezvous with him. We know our route." Lee nodded his affirmation, and Neji focused on the three of us.

Naruto, still not talking, had a small fit trying to point to the map and back to Kiba, himself and me in turn. Neji motioned his permission to speak, rolling his eyes. In a single breath, Naruto said, "So then me and Kiba and Shino will go in on the south side but how will we get there and who's gonna open the door for us."

"Is that grammatical Chernobyl intended to be some sort of question?" Neji taunted, smirking.

"Dammit, yeah!" the blond growled, thumping a fist on the mattress in his annoyance. "You're almost worse than Sasuke!" Naruto, distracted, threatened to go off on yet another rant on his favorite subject: his superiority in comparison to the Uchiha.

"What is our route to the south entrance?" I said with enough authority to curb Naruto's temper. "If we get lost..."

No one had to be told what would happen if we got lost. It would be Neji, Lee, and Koburon Gyo against more than one hundred men. Failure was certain. Neji said, "Kiba-kun, you're going to memorize the red line on the map. Shino-kun, as you see in the floor plan, the basement of the warehouse is the real headquarters. The walls are a deliberate maze. You will study them and know the way through. And Naruto," his voice trailed off, considering. "Well, you're horrible at memorizing anything long. You'll look at the target's photograph until you would bet your status as a Konoha jounin that you'll get the right man."

Naruto looked angrier now at the slight to his pride, but took it as the challenge it was intended to be and snatched the photo. Kiba was busy making up a rhyme to help him remember the directions, and Akamaru turned in response to the trained cues in his words. I could hear him humming to himself.

"_In Bujitaihei_ - that's five syllables, five houses directly north. _I met a pretty girl_ - more like I _was_ one. It doesn't rhyme so it's left for six rooftops. _Black curls_ - it rhymes, right turn, two roofs. _Her eyes were bright _- left, four houses. _She was a sight_ - right, four. That'll do it."

I sat down on the ground next to him, looking at the maze. It wasn't difficult, looking down, but it would be hard to orient myself inside what looked like very tight corridors while defending against attacks. I have a good memory, though. I knew I would be able to do it. Right right left right left right right right left left right left. Okay.

After a busy ten minutes, all of us had our parts down. Neji tested each of us, and then finished, "The attack begins at eight o'clock. You have half an hour to get in position and set up whatever traps you want."

Kiba nodded and took off through the window. Akamaru next, and Naruto, and Lee hesitated at the sill to look back at us. I had an urge to say something to Neji, something ridiculously cliche; 'Don't get hurt, because now two people would be hurt with you.' But we just stared each other down. I knew that he knew that I knew that he knew that...

The curtains rustled, and the room was empty.

* * *

We arrived with five minutes to spare. None of us were big on traps; we couldn't use genjutsus, either, and risk having the chakra signature traced. We waited. 

Akamaru was on his stomach, on the verge of growling. He wouldn't, though, because he was a ninja in his own right and ninja don't make unnecessary sounds. Kiba stood behind me, hand on my shoulder, and I was against the wall, facing away from him. I was the best at silent kills, the first to greet a visitor.

A guard, on his usual rounds, stepped past the corner. We had all known he was coming. The mission began as my kikai swarmed down his throat, cutting off his voice and air supply. Instead of leaving him to asphyxiate, I slid a senbon into the gap between the base of the skull and his first verberate, guiding it diagonally upward with enough force to pierce the blood brain barrier and -

One second, too little time for him to react, and he slumped to the ground. The town clock struck eight and our attack was launched.

There were a lot of men in the hundred yards or so of clear area. My brain kicked out a number from Narame's own mouth; thirty-five. More than eleven each. Already, kunai with exploding tags were flying toward our tight group. We separated to avoid any damage.

I killed two with one set of projectile, miniature kunai - one through the heart, one in the upper arm. Brachial artery. Thirty liters of blood flowing through it, and only six in the body. Tear a wide enough hole and a man could bleed out in seconds, especially with his heart pounding to match the adrenaline.

In the mad dash for the entrance, in the dodging and sprinting and slashing, I saw a kunai aimed and thrown at me. Easy enough to take a step out of line, and I slit a faceless man's throat before his heavy club crashed down on me. Kiba and Naruto were ahead of me after my detour, and I went just a little bit faster, knowing that I had been through worse. My stamina wasn't going to be exhausted at this rate until far past morning.

I caught a senbon, almost by accident, and threw it directly onto its own reversed course. The nin had a bad habit of sighting down the needle, holding it up to his eye as though playing darts. Retracing its steps, the same needle drove through the same eye and that was five.

I caught up with the others a few feet from the entrance, but Kiba yelled to duck and all of us were on our stomachs. The wooden door was suddenly prickly with needles thrown from behind us, and Kiba jumped up to deflect the next wave with a needle in either hand. Naruto kicked viciously at the door, wrenching the hinges with the painful sound of metal shattering, but the door stayed in its place.

He raised his foot again, but I said, "Don't. It's bolted. I'll work on it, go help Kiba get them." He glanced back, nodded, and did the hand signs for his clone jutsu. Ignoring the sounds of battle behind me, I crouched down, called my kikaichu, and directed them to get through the door. I felt, at the back of my mind, each bite that they took to tunnel through the wood and out the other side.

Kiba's legs were against my back, and I felt it as he moved, stopping attacks against me. As the enemy was forced back by the clones, he advanced, and disappeared from my little world filled with the door. Thirty seconds later, it sounded as though we had the advantage, but Kiba yelled, "Shino! Senbon!"

I turned, saw the twenty or so senbon, and knew that the first was too close to avoid. My arm came up to protect my more important organs – it was flying straight for my right lung, by the trajectory – and I did the standard ninja mind trick. I focused on one thing, the spot on the ground I was headed towards, and let the needle pierce my forearm in a place that wouldn't affect my combat later. After the pain, I was rolling out of the way and searching for the one who had thrown them. Kiba had him already.

Naruto came back, without the clones and covered in blood. We all were.

"How long until we're through the door?" Naruto asked, collecting weapons from the ground and stuffing them in various pockets. You never knew what you would need more of, later on.

"Two minutes. It's five inches thick." I picked myself up, stinking and filthy. My arm was numb.

Kiba said, "How bad is that?" I shrugged, and he took hold of the senbon. "This'll be fine." He tugged it out quickly, and my kikai immediately clogged the hole and stopped the bleeding. The wound would be gone before morning. "There, see?"

I looked at it for a moment. It hadn't hurt when he had pulled the weapon out, not at all. "How many do you think there were?" I asked. "We know that they had at least a hundred men all told, and thirty-five should have been guarding this door. I killed five."

"I got thirteen, I think." Kiba shrugged.

"Ano…fifteen, or twenty?..." Naruto thought for a moment. "Yeah, definitely between there."

"It's kinda important, damn it!" Kiba yelled, and they started pushing each other around. "There could be some guys left!"

There was a thud from the other side of the door as the heavy horizontal bar dropped from its weakened holders. My kikai had completed their task. I grabbed Kiba's hand and led him through the door, motioning for him to be quiet. Naruto took the rear, walking backward, Kiba holding onto the jounin vest and warning him when to stop.

Right right left.

There was a surprised, wet sound from Naruto's end of the line.

Right left right.

Two men rounded the corner and I froze for a moment too long, trying to keep the turns in my head. One got a hand all the way to the sword on his hip before Akamaru and Kiba took care of it.

_Right right left right left right_ right right left. I thought. How many turns had we already made?

We could hear the scream of metal against metal, and the sound of meat being hacked. Neji, Lee and Gyo were already at the center of the maze. No use in sneaking now.

Left right left - and then we were immediately in the middle of it, Naruto off in search of his target, racing to try to beat the others to Hotundoro Seijirou. There were bodies everywhere, not all of them still. Quite a few were, in fact, rushing toward the two unfamiliar faces covered in their comrades' blood. I felt the change in Kiba's chakra as he and Akamaru used genjutsu to appear half-beast, half-man. Now it was three against - I scanned the faces a moment - around twenty. This would be interesting, at least.

Kiba, in the last five seconds before the enemy was on us, took a deep breath with his enhanced nose and made a face. "Shino, you smell horrible."

I turned to him and, with the high of danger and death and urgency, I raised my chin above my high collar and grinned.

His eyes went wide. Then, we both threw outselves headlong into the fight.

* * *

It was a bit difficult to tell, with blood soaking into everything and a few kunai in imaginative places, but this broken thing was definitely Hotundoro Seijirou, leader of the rebellion-that-almost-was in Bujitaihei. Mission accomplished. We needed to take back something to prove it, though. The archaic tradition was to bring back the head of the kill, but the journey would be overnight and a severed head is simply unpleasant in all aspects. 

Neji was bent down over him. He had been the one to kill him, in the end. Naruto wasn't so upset; he was still bouncy from the jittery sensation of a mission executed nearly flawlessly. I could see a few injuries among us; Kiba had tears in his jacket, and I knew that it was hiding the blood; Lee had an intact shuriken star buried in his femur bone, it looked like; my arm was well on its way to healing, and I felt the kikaichu overactively bunching around it in the effort to fix their home. The numbness had subsided to a warmth that was greater than the rest of my body.

And Koburon Gyo didn't have a scratch on him. It looked as though he had been taking a break while the rest of us were in the middle of the fight. Gyo was perhaps twenty-one or -two, with blonde hair and green eyes and an almost nauseating level of haughtiness. Bored, he asked, "Can we go, Hyuuga-kun?"

Neji's eyes were straining with the Byakugan evil eye. He scanned from the top of the body's head to his hands, and then relaxed and slipped a gold ring from the middle finger of the left hand. He examined it a moment, and announced, "It's engraved. Looks like a gift from a son-in-law. 'A symbol of new familial bonds.' This will do.

"But first, introductions. You," the slightest hesitation, "_fought_ alongside Rock Lee and me. Then, there is Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and Uzumaki Naruto." We each nodded or bowed or looked around as we were named.

He seemed deep in thought for a moment, and then said, "Uzumaki...aren't you that monster?"

Every single one of us froze. I felt my kikaichu stop their crawling. Kiba and Lee looked ready to assault him, and Naruto just sat there smiling idiotically as though he hadn't heard it. He wasn't breathing.

Neji said, "I think it's time to go."

We emerged - it was much easier to find the way out of the maze, because I gave myself time to think the turns through and reverse them - into darkness. With everything that had happened, it was not midnight yet.

After a fast stop in the inn to collect our things, we left the town and began the long trek back. I made sure to keep Kiba at least fifteen feet away from Gyo at all times. We didn't need him to accidentally die.

* * *

When we stopped at dawn, all we had the energy to do was bandage wounds, eat, and sleep. Neji, uninjured, took out six concentrated bars designed to feed a body for twenty-four hours. No preparation needed; all of us ate as quickly as possible. 

Gyo was sitting idly on the ground, chewing. Neji gave Lee some field first aid; he got the only shot of morphine in the kit. None of us dared to take the shuriken from his leg, and he was managing by not extending or contracting the muscle. Akamaru had carried him. Naruto was setting up the three two-man tents.

Kiba took off his coat, and I saw the shallow cuts that had already clotted. The deeper ones were oozing blood: right shoulder, left side, and close to his jugular vein in his neck. I doused them in alcohol and wrapped the first layer of dressings on his shoulder.

Gyo said, "You're pretty young to all be jounin. I know the big clans are good, but the average age for passing the exam is nineteen and most never even bother with it."

Kiba, in a neutral tone that dripped disdain, replied, "Shino and I are chuunins. The others are jounins."

He whistled under his breath. "That explains it."

I saw and felt his muscles tense. "Explains what?"

"Why you didn't do much back there."

Touched the middle of Kiba's chest as he moved to stand, warning him. Instead, he growled, "We did plenty! I killed twenty-four, Akamaru ten, and Shino seventeen! How many did _you_ get?" That he knew my count was a surprise. I hadn't told him. Had he been watching closely? How did he have time for that, in the middle of a melee?

Gyo shrugged. "I don't measure myself with petty numbers."

"My ass!" he yelled. I pressed my hand over his mouth as Neji approached, and he calmed down a very little bit.

Neji, visibly stressed out, sighed. "We're going to sleep. Shino and Kiba, Lee and I, Naruto and -" he abruptly stopped talking, and a hand came up to rub his temple.

I saw the thought process unroll before me. Naruto and Gyo were a bad mix. Naruto wasn't a saint in the first place, and if Gyo started to insult him again, there was no telling what color the inside of the tent would be come morning. Kiba was already itching for his blood, and it couldn't be me because I was the only thing keeping Kiba on a leash. Not Lee, because he and Kiba had loyalty in common and Lee couldn't stand for the Honor of his Friends to be Viciously Called Into Question. Therefore, the burden of the diplomat; Neji would have to room with Gyo.

He started again. "Shino and Kiba, Lee and Naruto, Gyo and I. Go to sleep, we're packing up at dusk."

We went. I peeled my jacket off, and immediately felt freezing. Lying in the thin, standard-issue sleeping bag, I was finding it difficult to think. Even with the cover, I was uncomfortably cold. This time, when Kiba's fingers touched my arm, pins and needles flared up and down my skin. I turned on my side and they disappeared, along with the cool fingers that had started them.

"Shino?" Kiba whispered, too quietly to hear it properly. It wasn't penetrating all the way to my mind. "Your skin's really hot."

No, it was much too cold already. He had to be in danger of frostbite, for him to feel cool to me. "That's my injured arm."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Do you want Gyo to complain about me slowing us down?" Even Lee was keeping up, and he was half delirious.

"I don't give a flying fuck what he thinks. Are you going to be okay tonight, to get back to the village?"

"Yes." My head was beginning to ache.

"Are you sure?" he wheedled.

"Yes," I answered, perturbed.

"All you have to say is to stop worrying," Kiba said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What would you do with your free time then?"

He was quiet for a long time. His thin fingers wrapped around my wrist on the other arm. "So, this one's fine, right?" I nodded. He didn't say any more, and left his arm where it was, across me.

* * *

At dusk, Kiba, Naruto, Neji and I packed up. Lee was in a bad way. Every few minutes, Kiba pressed his cold fingers against my skin and frowned at me. After a while, I didn't register it anymore. 

Kiba and I were slow leaving camp. Gyo said that the chuunins were like an anchor. We stopped every hour to check on Lee. Gyo said that he was going to be fine, or deserve what he got. Even Neji was ready to throttle him after that.

Ten miles from the village, I noticed that I couldn't even feel the kikaichu beneath my skin any longer.

My vision was narrowing. Walking behind, I could only focus on that stupid dark furry lining of Kiba's hood, peeking over his head. I told myself that I should have seen Lee and Neji before him, and that Naruto and Gyo were making noise behind me.

I was floating forward in a soundless world full of Kiba on legs I couldn't feel. I tried to speak, but my throat and mouth were filled with cotton.

I grasped at my chakra and a kikai landed on that patch of hood. I tried to speak through it, but my control flagged and I lost my hold over the kikai. It waited for the five seconds it took me to project, _I think I've been poisoned._

Kiba turned, surprised, and I fell forward, straight into him. I couldn't see the hood anymore, just the grey of Kiba's jacket. No sound, but his chest was contracting and vibrating as he spoke quickly for a long time.

I was turned over and laid out on the ground, and my pinpoint connection to the world was concentrated on Kiba's eye. It was hazel, as I had known for years. Green with worry now, though. Who was making him worry?

Somehow, that thought struck me as ridiculous. Of course I knew why he was worried. Just not right now.

Now Gyo pushed Kiba away, and a wave of irrational rage swept over me. We helped him complete the mission, and all he had ever done was insult us. And now he had touched my -

I fell unconscious before I finished the thought.

* * *

I feel guilt because I poisoned Shino. But it makes for some great television, right? Oh, and, if you hadn't guessed, Gyo will be returning (at some point). 


	7. Be

I woke up in a bed. I could feel again. My skin was too tight, as though the kikai moving beneath it were going to split it apart. It hurt, but I would survive.

I wasn't wearing my glasses, so I didn't open my eyes. I continued to breathe deeply, as though I were really sleeping. It's never good to wake up in an unfamiliar place.

I sensed two strong chakras and recognized them immediately. Kiba and Father, standing like pillars of energy at the foot of my bed. However, I smelled something sugary sweet and flowery. Not Father, and most likely not Kiba.

"Father, Kiba, and Mira-chan."

"Oi, you're awake!" Kiba cried happily. The chakra moved closer to me, and the cool metal rim of my sunglasses touched my hand.

As I put them on automatically, I tried to sit up. I experienced a sickening medley of vertigo, falling, and a series of spikes being driven through my arm. Lying back on the bed, I asked, "What kind of poison was it?"

"Extracted from a Cone shell mollusk." That was Father's deep monotone. I couldn't tell whether he was relieved that I was going to recover, or disgusted with my failure. Now I understood Kiba's occasional deep frustration with me.

Kiba laughed, and it was forced. "Your bug thingies slowed the poison down a lot, or else you wouldn't have been alive by the time we got through that maze."

"That sounds as though you're repeating what the doctors told you." I was flat, staring at the ceiling through the dark lenses. It smelled clean to the point of unhealthiness. A hospital?

"Yeah, well, they're probably right. You never know." Kiba reappeared in my field of vision and held my head up, sliding my pillow under it so that I could see, yes, Father and Mira at the foot of my bed.

Mira looked as though she had been crying. She smiled at me and looked away, but I didn't understand the game. Was this flirting again? Either way, I said, "Good day, Mira-chan."

"It's evening now," she corrected me with a little laugh. "You've been asleep for three days."

"I'm sorry for worrying you."

"I suppose I'll get used to it," she laughed in a somewhat self-deprecating way. "It's not as though I can go with you and protect you."

Kiba's lips pressed together in a thin line. "So all you can do is sit and wait, Mira-chan. You're braver than I am." His chakra tightened. Father and I both turned our heads toward him.

"How did I get here?" I asked, before Mira started resembling Gyo a bit too much for Kiba's comfort.

"Kiba-kun carried you," Father said. I still couldn't tell. It was better not to think about it.

"Yeah, I owed you from last time."

"And the time before that," I reminded him.

He scratched the back of his head and laughed. It wasn't as forced this time. "…And the time before _that_. Yes, alright, I owed you."

I lifted an arm up through molasses to touch my forehead, where most of the pain lived. "I saw Koburon Gyo push you out of the way before I passed out."

He looked down at the ground, scowling. "What about it?"

"You didn't attack him." It wasn't a plea. It was trying for a confirmation. I couldn't be sure that Kiba hadn't, after all. All of us had been ready for gore.

He smiled at me, back to being forced. "Of course not. He's a jounin, he'd definitely win."

"At least you're thinking," I nodded to him.

Mira moved forward, to the standard chair beside the bed. She was wearing a skirt again, and had to sweep it around carefully to sit down.

It was simply an illogical garment. I knew girls that wore skirts, of course - Haruno Sakura was the obvious example. She wore a red dress as part of her battle costume, with black shorts beneath. It was acceptably nice-looking, for a kunoichi, and still served a practical purpose.

If Mira was going to wear a skirt every day of her life - our life, I meant - she should either have found shorts or worn longer skirts. This one was in danger of failing in its preordained vocation.

Mira leaned forward and took my hand. It was the injured arm, the one I had not brought to my face. When she pulled it to the edge of the bed, I experienced a fantastic amount of pain, considering the size and age of the wound itself.

Kiba opened his mouth to tell her something. Probably something about not disturbing the wound that had landed me here in the first place. He closed his mouth again, shook his head, and then asked, "Are you in pain, Shino?"

It was a way of asking me whether I wanted to make Mira let go or not. If I told her that she was causing it, she would try to apologize many times over, and I didn't have the energy for that. I answered, "I'm fine."

He winked at me. "Hey, Shino's dad," he said, turning to Father. The terrifying part was that Father had always responded to this title, and only from Kiba. "Let's leave the two lovebirds alone, what do you say?"

Father just turned and left. Kiba followed after him. I found myself hoping that they wouldn't be going far.

"Did your mission go well? No one will tell me." Mira's hand squeezed mine slightly.

I was a ninja. Ninja do not cringe. "Only minor injuries."

She turned my hand over and began racing weird patterns into my palm. "And you...killed people?"

"Yes."

"You don't care at all?" Was she embarrassed?

Oh. I understood. "You think it's wrong."

She shook her head slowly. "They'll kill you if you don't kill them. It's self-defense."

I closed my eyes behind my glasses. The first one, the guard who hadn't meant to find us and hadn't even realized what was happening, had _that_ been self-defense? Would he have attacked me, for sure? "You need to know something," I told her. "All of us are ninja. We are trained from birth to be perfect weapons. Weapons kill people, no questions asked and no hesitation."

"Doesn't that make it murder?" she squeaked. Her hand was tight around my limp one.

"You grew up in a ninja family. Surely all of them have been sent on dangerous missions?" My headache was increasing. I needed to talk to someone about the mission. I had completely missed the report, and I wanted to know how everything had turned...

I stopped breathing.

Lee had been seriously injured.

"How is Rock Lee?" I asked quickly.

Mira was confused for a moment. "The boy with the green suit and black hair? Kiba-kun mentioned concern for him, but I don't know..." she began to trail off.

"_I'm_ very concerned. Will you please go get Kiba?" I said, cutting her off mid-trail.

She nodded, and leaned over the bed. Only when she was directly over me did I realize that she was trying to kiss me.

I turned my head to the side.

She paused, and then pressed her lips to my cheek instead. "You can only be shy for so long, Shino-kun," she reminded me, and then she was out the door and Kiba came in a few moments later.

"Is Lee recovering?" I asked him immediately.

He shrugged. "The star was removed with surgery. He's in this very hospital. Neji's with him."

I pulled myself up until I was sitting. My body was in open revolt. I panted, "What...room?"

He touched my left shoulder, the normal one. "Nope. First of all, no one's allowed to see him until the fever goes down. They only let Neji in because he threatened them; he even brought an illustrated pamphlet along. And second, your dad was really specific about you not leaving until you can walk a mile without stopping."

"That's always the condition," I said, lying back. "But Lee is alive and is going to get better?"

"Yes, definitely."

I rested for a few minutes. It had taken too much energy to sit up. "What are you doing here, Kiba?"

He sat down in the chair and tilted it back on two legs. "Why would I not be? You're laid up."

"You hate hospitals."

Keeping the chair on two legs, he brought a hand down on the seat and the back. "Yeah. Akamaru's not allowed in, for one thing." He lifted his backside off the chair altogether, slowly unwinding himself until he was in a straight handstand.

I watched him. "You're going to fall."

He couldn't turn his head toward me easily, but stuck his tongue out for a moment anyway. "Am not. I've been able to do this for years."

I peeled the blanket from my midsection and legs. "That's what you always say. Then, I say, 'But you can't do it on one leg,' so you say-"

"Can so!" He leaned his weight forward; to the right, relative to me. The left leg hovered half an inch from the ground, wobbling a little bit.

My body rolled tiredly over the edge of the bed, and I crouched on the ground. I gathered the breath to continue, "Then, I say, 'You'll never be able to keep it up,' and you say-"

"Yeah, I can!"

"And then you lean too much, the chair overbalances-"

Kiba's legs swung too far forward for a split-second, the chair leg jerked up sharply, and the chair itself tumbled away. I pulled myself under him, and his shoulder hit mine, hard. Then he huddled in a kneeling position, holding his shoulder and clearly horrified.

Winded, I finished, "-and then you fall."

"I'm so sorry, Shino! Are you okay?"

"Yes. I've had worse." I felt drained. Even moving that far, that slowly, had completely wiped me out. "My body is trying to fall asleep."

He put one hand behind my neck and shoulders, wrapping the other around my lower back. "I'll help you stand." He pulled me up, and I felt my blood rush to the soles of my feet. We hobbled the one-and-a-half steps to the bed, and then he carefully laid me out as though I were one of the Inuzuka puppies. The blankets were tucked around me.

He was trying to apologize with his body language. That was the thing about people who lived closely with animals, and trained them according to physical signals; they all communicated with undertones of body language. I had learned it by rote, as a sort of mission for myself, shortly after being put on a team with him. And he became so frustrated because I never displayed any of it, while I could read him like a book…

"You never answered my question. If you hate hospitals, why are you here?" I asked, struggling not to slur the words.

He set his head on his shoulder and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I did so answer. You're hurt. That's enough."

Fingers touched my hairline, cautiously, and then ran through a small section of my hair. They returned to the beginning and went farther, and again, and again. I fell asleep, reassured that life was going much better than the last time I had lost consciousness.

* * *

One week after I first woke up in the hospital, Father judged me to be healthy enough to leave. I dressed in my standard high-collared jacket and grey pants, and the first person I wanted to see was Rock Lee.

I entered his room, and had to stop in surprise. _Everyone_ was there. Kiba, Naruto, Hinata, Gai, Neji, and the kunoichi from Team Gai, Tenten, were all looking at me and smiling. "Hooray, Shino! You're healed! It's a miracle!"

Lee sat up in his bed. "Our Friends in Times of Hardship have prepared an Extravaganza to honor our Fast Recovery!" His leg was in a stiff cast to prevent tearing any stitches out; Lee was not the type to slow down for an injury. Neji had his hand on Lee's shoulder, stopping him from moving around too much.

Kiba stepped forward, holding something behind his back. "Okay, Shino," he began, shifting from foot to foot. Whatever it was, I wasn't going to like it. "I have a present, but you need to bend over a bit. Tall bastard."

I hesitated, but leaned forward and down all the same. "What is it?"

"You'll find out. Um, close your eyes for a while." I closed them, and then nodded to show that I had. I heard Naruto snicker, and Hinata shushing him. Something slid down behind my ears, just a little bit too tight. Something attached to it was wobbling. "Okay, you're allowed to look for yourself."

I opened my eyes, but still couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Everyone had their hands over their mouths, and Lee and Gai had matching stars in their eyes. "What is it?" I asked.

"You're allowed to feel for yourself," Kiba amended.

I reached one hand up and caught a metal spring bobbing just out of my peripheral range. "Kiba." I felt along the spring until I found a ball on the end, covered with what felt suspiciously akin to glitter. "Tell me these aren't those imbecilic model antennae that civilians wear."

He smiled. Kami-sama, I must have looked like a fool. "You really are a bug-freak now, Shino!"

Tenten broke down and outright laughed. "You look dashing!"

After that, no one could be quiet. Everyone was laughing and joking with each other. I took the antennae off, catching the headband on my ear. Annoying things.

Kiba shrugged. "You've been kinda down since Lee got hurt. I figured they'd help you loosen up."

I shook my head. "I have been thinking of the exams."

He tilted his head to the side. "Oh, because of the poison? It's all out of your system now. You'll be fine. The exams aren't for another six weeks, that's plenty of time."

I nodded. That hadn't been the only problem. I was going to be required to kiss Mira, probably at the next opportunity.

"Is anything else worrying you?" Kiba asked curiously.

"No. I want to return to daily training."

He grimaced. "That can wait until tomorrow, though, right?"

I considered it a moment. It was the afternoon already. "Enjoy yourself while you still can."

He waved his arms. "You totally need the soundtrack from a horror movie to follow you around! A thunderclap would've been _so _perfect!"

Naruto jumped onto Kiba's back from behind, to surprise him, but Kiba apparently was prepared and immediately grabbed his collar to roll Naruto over his shoulder and onto the floor. Hinata was hiding her mouth behind two fingers, deciding whether to laugh or scold them. I stepped past them, to the edge of Lee's bed.

Neji was there, talking to his friend in a quiet murmur. I deliberately knocked my foot against the metal bedpost, making a dull echoing ring. Neji looked up quickly, our eyes met, and he turned away. His hand, resting on the blanket next to Lee's, brushed the other's skin and then Neji was deep in conversation with Tenten and Lee was smiling at me.

"Will there be any negative effects?" I asked. I hadn't asked any of my visitors about the subject, because I wanted to hear it from the man himself.

He held two fingers up and apart, the lying-down version of the good guy pose. "My leg has felt the Cruel Threat of Autumn, but a New Spring is almost upon it! I will be Released into the Vibrant Sunlight in only a few days!"

"I am glad. You did well in the mission. It would be unfortunate for a single wound to affect future performances." We both knew that the subject was a sensitive one for all shinobi. Just one broken bone or torn ligament could mean the end of one's career.

He sparkled. "It will be my honor to fight alongside you and Kiba again, after the jounin examinations. You are both excellent."

He held his hand out to me, and I grabbed his forearm. He returned the hold. Then, Gai, Lee's mentor and greatest influence, interrupted and began to monopolize his student's attention. I stood back. Both of them, with green suits and bowl-cut hairstyles, looked ridiculous.

I went to find Kiba and Hinata. There was nothing I could do about any other worry. I might as well enjoy the party.

* * *

Five days later, Lee was allowed to walk on crutches and therefore released from the hospital. Neji wouldn't stand for it and ordered Lee home. Since he had to stay behind to enforce his edict, the four-man party returning from the hospital dwindled to two and it was only Kiba and I, escorted by Akamaru.

Kiba was flipping a kunai in the air, testing himself. He had an amazing penchant for self-injury, obviously. He caught it after thirteen flips in a row, laughing maniacally. "Hey, everyone's better now! Be happy!"

Stonily, I said, "I am bursting with joy."

"I'll believe that when you actually burst," he shot back. Akamaru punctuated his words with a snarky yipping noise.

We walked past a sign that read, in huge red letters, '**Jounin Examination Registration Today, 8:00-5:00**'.

I stopped. "Kiba."

"Hmm?" He turned around, surprised that I was so far back. "Whatcha want?"

I was being very calm. "When did they announce the registrations?"

He peered at the sign. "They said that it would be today like a week ago... _Oh_. Right. You were in the hospital." He pointed at me and nodded, as though he had solved anything.

"What time is it?"

"Like four thirty, I guess. Why?"

I hissed, "_We have to register._"

He blinked. "I get it. So, where is it?"

I glared at him. "Idiot!" I jumped up, between the buildings, back and forth against each wall until I reached the roof. Kiba was a moment behind me. "We're going to try the administrative building first."

We set off, sprinting. Kami-sama, he made me furious sometimes. The soles of my shoes slipped on the clay shingles occasionally, and the sun was moving, and Kiba hadn't even _mentioned_.

It took me ten whole seconds to realize that we were being followed. I turned around and saw the ANBU captain, Itari, waving from fifteen yards away. I called to stop Kiba and Akamaru.

She caught up with us in a flash. "So, how's it going? Aburame-kun and Inuzuka-kun, right?"

"Where is the jounin exam registration?" I demanded.

She gave me a blank stare, and then asked, "Oh, is that today?"

I didn't hit either of the idiots. It was a close thing, though. "Yes."

She tilted her head to the side and set a fist on her hip. "I'm supposed to be helping out, I think. Usually, Uchiha-kun reminds me. That guy's been a bit irritable. Bad day at the office, you know?" She sighed, looked distraught, and then it was gone and she laughed. "Anyway, it's in the Hokage's office."

"Are you sure?" There were only ten minutes left. This would be our last chance.

She shrugged. "Kinda. Let's find out." She took off, faster than we had been going before. We raced to follow her.

There were only a few people left in the office when we arrived. I scanned the faces and my heart sank. This was not going to go well.

Koburon Gyo was sitting at the table, with a sheet of paper before him. He was obviously asleep, with his hitai-ate pulled down over his eyes and ankles crossed on the table.

Itari and Kiba both scowled. I had to wonder what he had done to her, as well.

Itari said, "Hell, it's Gyo. Let's go talk to him, children." We stood over him, and Itari pushed his feet off the table. "Wake up, you prick."

He startled and flicked his headband up with one thumb. "Registration's closed." He recognized Kiba and me and sneered, "Proper jounin are on time." He looked back at Itari and drawled, "Way to make a lackluster effort, Ri. You were supposed to replace me three hours ago."

Kiba did a double-take, but I nudged his arm to silence his questions. I said, "There are five minutes until the end of the posted time, Gyo-kun."

"I'm not letting anyone else sign up, alright?"

Itari smiled. "Hey, Nii-san," she began. Kiba's mouth dropped open. "I'm here to replace you. Get out of my chair, please. I'm having a bad day."

"Fine, dear sister." The animosity was palpable between them as he stood up. "I'll gladly let you try to correct your mistake by making a larger one."

He was about to storm away when Tsunade entered her office, still smiling from an apparently successful day at the gambling house. "Man, I love it when people need me to get out of here!" She spotted us and walked over, her high heels clicking merrily. "Hello, Itari-chan."

We all snapped to attention and bowed as one, and then Itari made a vague hand gesture. "It's nice to see you, Tsunade-san."

Gyo said, in a pompous, official voice, "Igumo-kun reported three hours late for her duty, Hokage-sama."

Kiba and Akamaru both growled and lunged for him. I caught Kiba around the middle, and Akamaru skidded to a stop without his master.

Gyo continued, "These two were too late to register, and are now harassing me."

Tsunade blinked at the display. "First, Itari-chan, how did the mission on which I sent you, knowing that you would not be able to manage the registration table and expecting Koburon-kun to suffer through the added responsibility, go?"

Gyo made a sound akin to swallowing one's own tongue.

Itari smiled. "The enemy was eliminated. My team suffered one casualty and no wounded."

"Who?" Tsunade asked sadly.

"Chirohi-chan," Itari answered promptly, looking away.

Having a bad day, indeed.

Kiba, upright, bowed his head, and I did the same. Neither of us had known the woman, but she was honored.

"I'm sorry," Tsunade said, and meant it. If nothing else, the legendary medic nin had a superb bedside manner, and knew how to comfort people.

She turned to us and smiled. "Shino-kun, I see that you've recovered from your poisoning. And, if I remember correctly, Lee-kun is up and about as of today. I'm sure you would have come, if you hadn't been with him."

I just nodded. Gyo was turning green.

"And Koburon-kun, thank you for your efforts, but it appears that there are still two minutes left and some free space on the sheet. You are relieved of your duties, and Itari-chan will take over from here."

Gyo bowed and stalked away. Good riddance.

Itari sat down. "Now then, Inuzuka-kun, just sign here and you're all set!"

Kiba signed the characters of his name and handed me the calligraphy brush. "Feh," he scoffed. "Gyo's a bastard."

"I know," Itari agreed. She took back the brush, waved the scroll in the air to dry it, rolled it up and handed it to the Hokage. "The names of the participants, Hokage-sama."

"Thank you, Igumo-kun," Tsunade said officially. Unofficially, she added, "I'm glad that you got all the good genes, sweetie."

Itari grinned and winked. "It'd be creepy if he was mean _and_ pretty, right?"

Tsunade waved and walked away. Itari stood up, and we all left. That had been the most frustrating half an hour of my life.

Kiba said, "So, 'Ri', Gyo's your brother?"

She laughed. "Don't ever call me that. He only says it when he's making fun of me. Yeah, he's my brother, and Tsunade was almost my aunt."

"Really?"

"Yes. My uncle proposed to her, but she turned him down. I hear he's still after her. Either way, she's one of his best friends, so she was around a lot when we went to visit him."

Kiba and I looked at each other. He said, "Does your uncle have a student right now?"

"Yes, Uchiha-kun's best friend, I think. Why?" She blinked at us, surprised.

"You're related to Jiraiya, the Pervy Sage!" Kiba laughed.

"I guess so..." She was obviously confused.

I just waved good-bye and led the hysterical Kiba away.

After five minutes, he calmed down enough to say, "Sorry for forgetting, Shino."

I shrugged. "Everything worked out."

"You're not mad anymore?"

I thought about it for a moment. "No."

He grinned and turned down his own street while I continued toward the complex. "See you later, then."

* * *

Rest in peace, Chirohi-chan. (I made her up on the spot. She had red hair, a daughter, and a husband, at twenty-four years old.)

Happy Veteran's Day.

Oh, and someone said that they get injured a lot. Well, yes. Yes, they do. Their career-of-choice is basically to be target practice. How many senbon can _you_ dodge? Haha.


	8. Seen

I'm in love with this chapter. You're going to love it, too, I promise. Remember to review!

* * *

I was asleep. It was a nice way to be. Most of my body hurt from the intensive reparative training. So, unconscious, I was free. 

The mattress shifted. It was close enough to dawn; might as well allow him to wake me up. The only problem was that I did not wear my glasses to bed in my own room. I was _not_ going to open my eyes.

The shifter shifted again, and I held perfectly still in the hope that he would be discouraged and leave. When I didn't open my eyes, he growled and moved closer, pressing a knee against my leg. A human form, at least. But that growl...

"Akamaru? What are you doing with the human genjutsu on?" I asked aloud. I wasn't expecting an answer, but I also wasn't expecting him to start licking my chin. That I knew that he was wearing Kiba's face made it all the more ridiculous.

I reached for my bedside table and found it oddly devoid of my glasses. My eyebrows came together.

He moved to my neck, licking and nipping, biting and pulling as if to tear the skin away. It was almost gentle. "Are you trying to eat me?" He didn't stop until, blind, I pushed him back and sat up.

Then, Akamaru did something I had not expected. He swore. "Fuck, Shino, open your eyes!"

There was a long moment of silence, and then I said, "Kiba, give me my glasses." He did so, sheepishly, and I slid them on. My neck was cold with saliva, and warm from the bites that had turned red. An odd feeling. I continued to stare at him.

"Ah, um, okay, I came in with something to tell you, but then I leaned over and you called me Akamaru and I got an idea to make you open your eyes…"

When I was sure that he was done blurting out words, I said, "What is the thing you were going to tell me?"

He fell over himself getting off the bed. Still surprised that I wasn't angry - so was I, come to that - he stuttered, "U-um, I think that you should take Mira-chan out for another date today. It'll be a triple-date, actually..." He wound down to silence once more.

"Who else is coming?" I prompted.

"Well, I ran into Itari last night and we got to talking and she said that it would be a good idea if a bunch of us could go hang out." He was starting to laugh desperately. "So, um, it'll be you and Mira, Sasuke and Sakura, and Itari and me."

"Won't Sasuke try to harm Itari for suggesting it?" Sakura was on par with the worst of the fangirls who followed after him, after all. He wouldn't take a date with her lying down.

"Nah. She's his captain. She could whoop his ass any day." He sniggered, forgetting his brilliant plan to wake me already. "Dude, I have a date with an ANBU captain!"

I gave him a blank look. "Fine. What will we be doing?"

He pulled his hood up and over his head, shrugging. "A movie, lunch, maybe some ice cream. You know, normal things. It'll be fun. That's F-"

"Yes, I know," I acknowledged, cutting him off. "You have explained before."

The sun was rising, and it struck his eyes. They shone clear green before he brought his hands up to protect them. I reached across him to pull the blinds closed, and then moved to my closet. "I will invite her during breakfast, which I assume I will now be attending. We are not training, correct?"

"Right!" Kiba chirped. "I want to get all prettied up for my date with a babe!" He waggled his eyebrows.

I glared at him in disgust as I changed, and then, fully dressed, opened my bedroom door. I stopped before tripping over a pile of dog. "Good morning, Akamaru," I greeted him.

Akamaru barked his greeting and looked up at me expectantly.

"You know where the kitchens are," I reminded him. He jumped up, lapped at my ankle - a much safer place - and bolted through the house.

The heavy footsteps woke at least Mira. Her room was three doors down the corridor from mine - the two between us were for Father and Mira's parents, respectively, though the latter had left while I had been in the hospital. My fiancée opened her door and stepped out, bewildered. She wore a dark green sleeping yukata and her hair was tied back in a loose knot. Kami-sama - was she wearing cosmetics? This early?

She blinked at me, smiled, and held up her hand in greeting. I nodded my head. Kiba, possibly feeling left out, pushed on my shoulders to let him out of my room, as well. "Morning, Mira-chan!"

I began the countdown. I predicted twenty seconds.

Mira smiled after a surprised pause. "Good morning, Kiba-kun. May I ask why you are here so early? And...in Shino-kun's room?"

Thirteen seconds.

Kiba smiled too much. "Shino'll tell you at breakfast. I don't want to ruin the surprise."

Eight seconds.

Mira smiled too much in return. Neither said anything. I wondered if I had somehow missed some sort of declaration of a battle between them.

Two, one. Father stepped out of his room, fully dressed in the typical Aburame battle costume; a heavy jacket whose collar covered half the face, dark sunglasses, and dark hair in all directions. He looked at Mira on his left and us on his right, and said, "Good morning."

It broke whatever Kiba and Mira had been doing. Kiba waved his arm over his head, fifteen feet away from Father, and yelled, "Hi, Shino's dad!"

Father said, "If the cook does not know you are here, it is polite to tell her to prepare another place."

Kiba made a sour face. "Geez, what is it with you two guys and manners all the time?" Father and I both stared at him for a long moment; Mira was hidden behind Father's coat. He held up his hands defensively. "Alright, I'm going!" He turned and hurried along the same path as Akamaru, judging by the resounding racket he made as he went to the kitchens.

Mira said, "There is a surprise, Shino-kun?"

I inclined my head a very little bit. "Would you like to accompany me on a 'triple-date'? You will meet more of my friends, if Hinata has not introduced you to them already. Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, Igumo Itari and Kiba, you and me. Kiba has declared that it will be 'fun'."

Her eyes lit up. "I've met Sakura-chan before, but I didn't know she had a boyfriend!"

"I advise you not to call him that if he can hear you," I said calmly.

"Why?" She was undoing her hair and rapidly running her fingers through it. It fell as a curtain over her shoulder. "Are things going badly between them?"

I decided that it would take too much energy to explain properly. I shrugged, instead, and said to Father, "Is that acceptable?"

He nodded and began to walk down the hall. As he passed me, I told Mira, "We will wait until you are ready before beginning the meal." I turned and fell into step to the right and slightly behind Father. It was a habit ingrained in me; always defer to the head of the clan.

* * *

After lunch, the only people enjoying themselves were Kiba, Itari, Sakura, and Mira. Sasuke and I stayed at least five feet away from human contact at all times. 

The constant bombardment of social interaction was causing me stress. The body's reaction to stress is to secrete adrenaline, and my kikai were absorbing that adrenaline and in turn becoming very active. The sensation was unsettling. I felt as though I was going to burst.

Needless to say, I was in less than a good mood, and Sasuke was just antisocial by habit.

Mira drifted over to me. "Are you alright, Shino-kun?"

"I'm fine. Are you enjoying yourself, Mira-chan?" I was having trouble keeping my voice steady.

She frowned for a moment, but answered, "Yes, everyone is being very nice to me, especially Kiba-kun's girlfriend."

I blinked and looked at Itari and Kiba, walking side by side.

They had stopped, as had the rest of the group in answer. Itari had worn a gold tank top and jeans shorts, and her hair was up in a ponytail/braid combination that flattered her. Kiba had mercifully left his jacket behind (though I had not), and he wore a loose brown t-shirt and jeans. Itari was pulling on his arm, begging to go into an arcade. He laughed and agreed, and the group started moving again.

They looked like a couple.

Inside the arcade, there were lights flashing and music playing loudly. Kiba made a beeline to his favorite game, Sneaky Senbon.

It was basically an iron wall with various small holes in it. The point of the game was to throw the provided senbon through each hole so that it hit a sensor on the other side.

If that was accomplished, tickets would be awarded for redemption at the prize counter. In fairness, only children under ten were allowed to collect their prizes, since any full shinobi in the village would be able to accomplish the same.

Growing up, we academy students had tested ourselves against it. I was seven when I won for the first time. I still had the dummy rubber kunai I had received.

Mira was staring blankly, not understanding what the iron wall was for. The rest of us were already gathered in a ring to watch Kiba.

It was odd to think that all of us had so much in common while Mira did not.

He picked up the handful of dulled weapons and tossed them all within one second. He was getting faster, I noted.

The tickets came out. As Kiba gathered them, Sakura pouted, "I wish those were still worth something. Then Sasuke-kun would get me a prize. Wouldn't you, Sasuke-kun?" She went to hug him, but Sasuke stepped away as though he hadn't noticed.

Itari grabbed them and said brightly, "Next comes the _real_ fun!" She performed a series of hand signs that most of us knew well, and was surrounded by smoke for a moment. When she reappeared, she looked nine, wearing smaller versions of her shirt and shorts and her black hair in pigtails.

Kiba sighed. "No good. The guy at the counter is trained specifically to detect genjutsus."

She winked. "That's the fun _part_, Inuzuka-kun!" She skipped off merrily.

Sasuke said, "Captain is very powerful." Sakura looked as though she would faint.

Mira said, "Kiba-kun, may I ask how long you have been going out with Itari-chan?"

Thus, Mira and Sasuke became enemies.

He said, "They are not going out." At his tone, Mira hustled to put me between them.

Itari returned. "Yay! I got us three free sessions in the photo booth!" She released the genjutsu and held up the white tickets.

Sakura said, "Ooh, since it's a triple-date, how about each of the couples has to make out for the camera to take pictures?" Kiba frowned.

Itari shrugged happily. "Sounds fine to me. Right, Inuzuka-kun?" Sakura turned to Sasuke, beaming with the force of a supernova.

Sasuke stepped forward, took Itari's wrist, and pushed the curtain aside to go into the booth.

Sakura looked as though she were going to cry. Kiba said, "Well, Sakura-chan, I guess that's you and me, then." They had gone out for a few weeks about tow years before, and had ended it mutually. They would be fine.

I wouldn't.

Sasuke and Itari came back out, with four pictures to prove that they had completed their part of the mission. Kiba and Sakura took their place.

Itari grinned openly and touched her lips with her finger. "Wow, Sasuke-kun! You're better at that than I expected!" We all noticed the change in the name she called him.

He stared at her for a moment and then faced the wall, blushing furiously.

Mira smiled brightly at me.

Kiba and Sakura came out, proudly brandishing their evidence.

Mira took me by the hand and dragged me in.

I sat on the tiny bench-like ledge. She found the slot, fed it the white ticket, and turned to me.

She leaned forward. I leaned back. The camera clicked off the first of four pictures.

She whispered, "Shino-kun, we're going to be married soon."

"Six months from now," I specified, agreeing with her. The camera clicked again.

She put her hands on my shoulders. "Just kiss me. You'll have to at some point." She moved to sit on my lap, facing me. "It's just a kiss." The camera clicked a third time.

I put my hands on her shoulders, as well, and firmly pressed her back.

The camera clicked a fourth time, and I got out of the booth as quickly as possible. Mira came out, fixing her hair. Her cheeks were flushed with either embarrassment or fury, but it looked as though she had been actively participating in… the 'making out' we were supposed to be doing.

Kiba ducked inside, and there was a ten-second pause. He came back out with one hand moving out of his pocket and the third picture in the other. "This was the only tame one!" It looked as though Mira had pinned me down and ravaged me, or something close. Only the back of her head and my ear showed up at that angle.

Everyone laughed and left it at that.

Before the date ended, Kiba invited me to spend the night at his house.

* * *

I was in Kiba's tent in Inuzuka Clan territory. Kiba had been totally normal, hadn't mentioned anything about the date, or the picture he still had in his jeans pocket of me resisting Mira. Now it was close to midnight and Kiba was snoring loudly. 

I had to at least talk to him about it. I might even be able to ask for advice about...it.

But there were other tents close by, and I didn't want them to hear something personal.

I debated for a few moments, and then picked Kiba up out of his bed. He didn't wake up. Five minutes later, I set him down a few hundred yards into the forest and flicked him in the head. "Kiba, you sleep like an academy student." I did it again, and his eyes slid open slowly.

"Shino," he acknowledged. He drifted for a moment and I flicked him one more time. "Damn it, cut that out. I'm sleeping."

"Not anymore." I watched him will himself awake and look around. Before he could ask, I said, "We're west of your tent."

"Right, of course we are." He rubbed his hand through his hair and over his eyes, and sighed ironically. "How could we not be, after all?" As I watched, a shiver ran from his neck to his fingers. "Give me a chance to change the next time you abduct me, okay?"

Frustrated, I unzipped my coat and tossed it onto him. He put it on, growling about random appearances. I sat on my heels in silence, trying hard not to rush him. I'm not an antsy person by nature, but I was finding it difficult to control the impulse to have a small fit.

Kiba snuggled down into my jacket and against a tree, and finally said, "Alright, you want to talk, I get it." After a short silence, he rolled his eyes and added, "You didn't kiss Mira. Continue that thought anytime you feel like it, bug freak."

I sat down next to him in the roots and said, "I have now had two dates with Mira."

"Horror of horrors. Why did you drag me out here to tell me about this, then?"

"It's clear that I'm going to have to kiss her at some point in the near future." He whistled under his breath and shook his head just slightly. I continued, reluctantly, "And I'm not sure if I can."

"Oh, it'll be your first kiss, right? Finally catching up with the rest of us. I'm proud of you." He nudged me with his elbow, and I rocked with the motion, looking at the ground. He saw it, and said, still lighthearted, "Hey, c'mon, just view it as a mission. You're good at those."

"I don't…" I let my head thud against the tree. "I don't want something like that to be a mission."

He rolled over and looked at me, surprised. "This is something important, isn't it? You've never _once_ said the words 'I want' to me. I'm pretty sure no one else has heard them, either."

"Excuse my inability to need anything."

"No, no, it's not that you don't need anything, it's that you don't want other people to _know_ that you need something. Shino, this means something. I'm making progress! I'm actually, after five years, getting to know you!"

"_What about kissing Mira_?" I hissed, annoyed.

He got on all fours, looking at me closely in the dim light of the moon that filtered through the leaves. "This is something important to you. Either don't kiss her, or find someone else to kiss that you don't mind as much."

I glared at him from behind my sunglasses. He thought for a moment, and then, carefully, moved one knee across my legs and sat astride me. We both stopped breathing, checking to see if this was okay with me. I worked to relax tensed muscles.

He reached up to touch my glasses. Barely above a whisper, Kiba asked, "May I?" We both knew the gravity of this question. I had told him many times before that he would only see my eyes when we were equals.

He was straddling me, against a tree, in the middle of the woods at midnight. This was as close to equal as I could imagine being.

"You don't want to see." I closed my eyes as he ignored me, removing the glasses and setting them somewhere. I didn't even care where they were. With no other choice, I opened my eyes, and we stared at each other for a heartbeat.

I knew what my eyes looked like. It was the same with every member of the Aburame clan. The kikaichu were everywhere, even below the cornea and invading the irises. In the moonlight, and the stillness, I could feel them moving, now in plain sight.

My eyes were a moving blackness. I knew it would be disgusting; it _felt_ weird, and I had had them for seventeen years.

I watched as he stared for a few seconds, and then longer, without a word. Unable to stand it, I closed my eyes again and turned away from him, trying to focus on finding the sunglasses I had hid behind all my life.

"Don't," he gasped, finally making a sound. "Don't look away. Let me see again, please." I didn't, until he put his hand on my chin and turned me to face him. I glowered at him, humiliated and exposed.

His cold finger touched my cheek, like a ghost. "Do the bugs…hurt?"

"No, they don't," I spat, trying to lean back into the tree. "My eyes have been this way since I received the kikaichu, at birth. Yes, they're always going to be like this. No, I don't like them, and it's a bit of a sore subject. Is there anything I missed?"

He flinched at the sarcasm, and leaned down. Nose touching mine, he said, "I'm sorry for staring. _I_ like them."

I blinked at him. What was I supposed to do now? I couldn't remain cross after he said that. Plus, his breath was on my cheek, and it was incredibly distracting. I wanted very much to pay attention to that single sensation.

He turned his head and kissed me, the barest suggestion of contact. I couldn't breathe for a moment. We stared at each other as he quickly retreated, but I touched his hand, unable to form a proper sentence.

We both moved at the same time. We pressed our lips together tightly, and, as he worked his mouth over mine, I tried to follow suit. He was so very warm, and he tasted sweet, and my hands were gripping his shoulders through my own jacket. Then, too soon, we were breathing and he was moving off me.

I watched as he took off my jacket and bent for my glasses. I took his hand when he offered it to pull me up, and he covered my eyes again right away. He stood in silence as I shrugged the coat on and zipped it up.

I was going to suggest we head back, if only to break the extremely awkward silence, but he moved forward and hugged me tightly. "Shino, listen, don't let any of this change anything, alright? We're still friends."

I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and said, "Best friends."

He grinned, and we both went back to his tent. I could still taste him. It didn't bother me much, which, in itself, surprised me greatly.

All in all, they hadn't been terrible first kisses.


	9. Or

I can't believe I just wrote this. But, um, you'll like (most of) it. Also, it appears that the almighty author has willed that there be ShikaIno in this story now, too.

Warning: This chapter focuses on the kissing habits of...well, everyone. And with _girls_. Ew.

* * *

Hinata, Kiba, and I were walking on the streets of Konoha after we had all been training together. It had been half a month since my first kisses, but I had not yet kissed Mira. It had simply never been the 'right time'. She was beginning to resent me, I knew. 

"Right, Shino?" Kiba said, nudging my arm with his elbow. Hinata was blushing and looking at the ground. I didn't respond, and Kiba rolled his eyes. "We're talking about Hinata and Neji. All he ever does is hold her hand and stuff. He should at least kiss her, right? I mean, you and Mira have."

"Do not speak of things you know nothing about," I admonished automatically. Kiba and Hinata both stared at me, amazed. I sighed and explained, "I have not yet kissed Mira."

Kiba's index finger reached up to touch his lips, and then he blushed nearly as much as Hinata and looked down.

Hinata said quietly, "Wouldn't it be important? The wedding is in four months, isn't it?"

"I have had other concerns. The first part of the exams is very soon."

Kiba bit his lip until it bled and forced himself to stop blushing. Hinata and I both looked at him, and he said, "Well, you're both stupid. Kissing's the least of your worries. I mean, yeah, big leap, but if you don't do it now then on your wedding night the leap'll be straight into bed."

I reached over and wiped the blood away with my thumb. "You're an idiot."

At the new revelation, Hinata made a small choking sound and covered her face. "I know that it'll happen eventually. If Neji-kun tries to kiss me, I will, but I'm not just going to..." she shook her head, still hiding her face.

Kiba turned to me. "Shino, you're the guy. You've got no excuse. It's not as though she's unwilling, either. She practically raped you in that photo booth, for god's sake!"

"I do not need to be reminded," I said simply.

"Where _is_ Mira-chan today?" Hinata asked. She looked confused at Kiba's words, but I wasn't going to relive the infamous triple-date by telling my little sister the story.

"Sakura took her shopping," Kiba laughed. "Scary thing is, they invited us, too. You know how Shino doesn't know how to say no to girls."

Hinata laughed, cautiously. "I think that you're the only one that Onii-san doesn't say no to. Unless it's for a mission, I mean..."

Kiba sniggered. "I'll have to teach Mira to be as adorable as I am, then. Bug freak over here won't stand a chance."

We spotted Shikamaru and his girlfriend Ino approaching us. Ino waved happily and we all stopped to chat, drawing in close to a building to get out of the crowd's way.

Shikamaru, now an elite jounin, had been the only one of our graduating academy class to make it to chuunin at our first opportunity, though we had all entered the exam. His brown hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, and he wore an expression of perpetual boredom. Today he wore the loose black jounin uniform and black jacket, with his hitai-ate around his upper arm as ever.

Ino worked in her family's flower shop, and had a pastel orange dress on under her apron. Her blonde hair had been long before the first chuunin exam, but she had cut it all off in the middle of a fight, and since then she only kept it to her shoulders. It was in a small bun high on her head.

Ino said happily, "I haven't seen you guys in ever! But I see that you still hang out all the time, so that's good. Anything new with you?"

I shook my head in negation, but Kiba said, "Yup, I'm the only one not engaged to anyone now."

Ino's jaw dropped and Shikamaru rubbed his head, muttering, "Damn it, this is going to be very troublesome..."

The blonde said, "What? Shino-kun? I already know about Hinata-chan and Neji, but who's _Shino_-_kun_ going to marry?"

"This chick named Mira from a branch of Bugness in Kumogakure. Sakura and Sasuke met her, and Neji and Lee and Naruto and Tenten..." he ticked off each name on his fingers. "So, yeah, you two and Chouji are the last ones to hear about it, I guess."

"No fair! Hinata, give me the lowdown." Ino held her hand in front of her mouth as though she were whispering, but all of us could hear. "Is this Mira hot? Because, y'know, if I'm going to have competition for being the most beautiful in town, I need to get a jump on things."

Hinata, never one to pass judgment on others, didn't know what to say. I turned to Shikamaru. "Did you have a mission today?"

"Yeah, it really sucked. I just got back from Suna no Kuni. I was trying to keep us from going to war." He sighed. "Goddamn, don't they have anyone else to do this kind of thing?" Nara Shikamaru had an IQ of over 200 points. He was obviously favored for negotiation missions and the like, and, despite his attitude, he was extremely good at what he did.

Kiba said, "Why would we go to war against Suna?"

"Apparently there have been scattered incidents of attacks using Suna-forged weapons. Temari says that Suna's definitely not behind them, and she'll be keeping her eye out for that sort of business on the black market." His arm was taken over by Ino. It was nice to see that he was taller than her, now.

Temari and her brothers, Kankuro and Gaara, were Suna ninja of exceptional skill. They had taken part in our first chuunin exam, as well. Gaara had been a vessel for the raccoon demon then, and bore no qualms about killing anyone who looked at him sideways. He had been named Kazekage, on par with our Hokage, soon after. After a rogue team abducted him and sealed the demon deep within him, he had maintained his title and general attitude of stay-the-fuck-away-from-me-or-die.

I said, "A few months back, we three experienced such an attack. Where have they been focused?"

"Within our borders, every single one. Hang on, let me show you." He focused his chakra and touched the wall beside us. His fingers left a faintly-glowing blue line behind them. A map of the country took shape, and then he plotted about fifteen separate points.

Kiba stared at him. "You know all that offhand?"

Shikamaru scowled. "It's called a photographic memory, retard. I'll bet you still make up rhymes to remember things, like they taught us first year of academy."

Kiba looked furious. "Why fix what ain't broken?"

Shikamaru turned his head away, annoying Kiba more. "I don't see how people can stand to be around you, with all the yelling you do."

Kiba's hands bunched into fists at his sides, and Akamaru barked, unsure of the threat from such a familiar person. He stewed for a moment, and then yelled, "It's not like anyone really hates me! You think you're better than me because you have someone that loves you? Let me tell you, the whole love thing is overrated!"

He turned around and stomped off, knocking my shoulder back as he passed me. I watched him go, worried. What had set him off like that, and so easily?

Hinata murmured, "Please excuse me." She rushed after Kiba.

Ino, Shikamaru, and I stood in silence for a moment. I eventually said, "Please point out to the Hokage that all of the attacks have happened near our border with Kumo no Kuni."

Shikamaru groaned. "Why don't you do it yourself?"

I glared at him. "Mention it in your report."

He shrugged. "I guess now's as good a time as ever. See you guys later."

Ino pouted and put her hands on her hips. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Do I have to?"

Ino stuck her tongue out. "Love you, Shikamaru."

He touched her chin and they kissed, and then he clapped his hands in three signs and teleported.

Ino beamed at me. "I'm on break, but it's almost over now. I'll see you later, okay?" She ran off, too.

I looked up the street, where Kiba and Hinata had gone. When he got tetchy like this and I had no idea why, it was best to let him talk to Hinata. That did not make me any less concerned. He hadn't utterly _not told_ me something since his father had shown up in town.

I needed to ask him about it, later.

* * *

Two days passed. Hinata, Kiba, Akamaru, and I trained from the early morning until lunch. I invited them both to eat at my house, since it was closer than Ichiraku's and the food would definitely be healthier. 

I showed them into the large receiving room wherein I had first met Mira only to find my fiancee sitting casually at the table, book in hand. Today she wore a loose green shirt and blue jeans. Her hair came to the middle of her back in a french braid.

She looked up, startled, slid a red ribbon between the pages, and closed her book. "Well, hello, Hinata-chan, Kiba-kun, and Shino-kun. I thought you were training?"

"We have finished for today," I explained. "We are going to have lunch. Will you join us?"

She nodded happily and beckoned to Hinata, who went to sit next to her. I looked at Kiba. "I'm going to inform Father. Be patient."

He trained his eyes on the ground. He hadn't been speaking to me. I could only assume that it was because he knew that I knew that he wasn't telling me something. However, I couldn't force it out of him. So I left it at that and exited the room.

My first stop was the kitchen. The cook, Baru, was a kind, heavyset woman ten years older than Father. She waved a carrot she was eating back and forth in greeting. "Good day, young master. How's life treating you?"

I bowed lower than expected for help. "Baru-san, I have two guests over, and request that you prepare us one of you delicious meals."

She laughed. "Of course. How about baked potatoes and some mushroom soup? Lots of carbohydrates and energy. You've got Hinata-chan and Ki-baka-kun out there, don't you? All three of you must be tired."

She had called Kiba an idiot, 'Ki-baka', ever since he had tried to cook something when she was away. Since the Inuzuka tribe focused on the _fire_ part of the culinary arts, he had failed to take into account the effects of an oven at its highest temperature on venison over the course of forty minutes.

"It sounds like water in a desert, Baru-san," I assured her. "Mira-chan is also eating with us."

She was already bustling to and fro, so I excused myself.

I next went to Father's study. I knocked on the door, and he said in his deep voice, "Enter."

I drew a deep breath, slid the shoji screen to the side, and stepped into the room. Father was at his mahogany desk, and acknowledged me. "Shino."

I bowed low. "Father, lunch will be served shortly. Mira, Hinata, and Kiba are here."

He sat regarding my silently for a long moment. Then, he bent his head to whatever he was working on. "I understand."

I bowed again, and took his words as a dismissal. I closed the door quietly behind me.

When I returned, Mira was sitting on the right side of Hinata and Kiba on the other. They were both wearing perfectly civil expressions, but staring in opposite directions. Hinata looked ready to kill herself with the tension between them.

All three looked at me in the same instant. Hinata looked purely relieved, but Kiba and Mira both smiled at me. I glanced between them.

"Hello," I greeted them all, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

Kiba grinned and winked. Hinata nodded her welcome. Mira, however, stood and approached me. "Hello, Shino-kun!"

When she got very close, her hands found mine and pulled them until they rested on her hips. They were warm and...supple, I suppose the word would be.

She smiled very sweetly. "I have been talking with the girls in this village. They have encouraged me to make sure I know where I stand in...well, us." She took a deep breath. "We're going to get married, no matter what, but I think it's important for you to know that I love you."

I stared at her for a moment. Nothing moved inside the room. I remembered Shikamaru and Ino. She had said 'I love you', and he had -

I leaned forward and kissed her.

The first thought that crossed my mind was that Kiba's lips were definitely rougher. Mira stood perfectly still, surprised. I straightened up - she was quite a bit shorter than I was - and moved in front of the table.

"Baru-san is preparing potatoes and mushroom soup," I reported.

At my tone, Kiba started outright laughing. Hinata had one hand over her mouth and a brilliant blush past its peak and beginning to fade. Mira walked as if in a dream and sat beside Hinata, on the far side from Kiba.

Kiba's shoulders were still shaking as I took my seat beside him. For whatever reason, my sitting down sobered both Mira and Kiba. All of us were silent until servants gave us our meal.

Kiba had apparently regained his ability to look me in the eye. "So, Shino, didja hear? Tsunade is going to make an announcement for the exams in a couple of days. Aren't you excited?"

I nodded my affirmative. I had made it my business to check for anything new about the exams personally.

Mira said, "Hinata-chan, you're not planning on taking the jounin exam?"

Hinata shook her head. "I'm part of the main Hyuuga house, but my abilities aren't jounin level. Neji-kun being a jounin is enough, since he will be leading the family."

Mira laughed sedately. "There are so many winding threads in this village. Romantically, I mean."

Hinata's back went stiff. "How do you mean?"

Mira was looking at her plate, and didn't notice Hinata's reaction. "I assumed that Kiba-kun and Itari-chan were going out, and Sakura-chan and Sasuke-kun, but then they were all fine to switch partners at a moment's notice. Is that normal?"

"Well, not really. None of us were going out with each other in the first place," Kiba said brightly. "But there are plenty of normal couples, like Ino and Shikamaru, and…um…"

I said, "Our little sister and Neji."

He looked confused. "But I thought that Lee-"

I stuck my own spoon into his mouth to shut him up. I repeated, "Our little sister and Neji are a normal couple."

Hinata was glowing. "U-um, aren't Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei still together…?"

Mira looked confused. She still didn't know most of these people. "Are they your teachers?"

Kiba smiled. "Iruka-sensei was our teacher in academy, and a really nice guy. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura's team leader was Kakashi-sensei. He's just downright lazy, and he reads porn all the time."

I sighed and took a spoonful of soup. Kiba didn't know how to selectively give a summary.

Mira was confused. "So they're both men?" Kami-sama, if ever there was a time for Kiba to explain something gently, it was now.

"Yeah, that's what I said. Two guys."

"And that is 'normal'?"

Damn it all to hell.

Kiba tilted his head to the side. "I guess so. No one really has a problem with it."

Mira stared at him, then shrugged it off. "That makes sense."

"What makes sense?"

Her eyes flashed. "You."

The word hadn't registered in my mind until after he had shot to his feet. I rose as well and grabbed his collar. He yelled, "And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Mira began to stand up, opening her mouth to reply, but Hinata grabbed her arm and kept her on the ground.

Kiba growled dangerously, low in his throat, and then shouted, "Fuck, why does this week have to suck so bad!" He grabbed his cup, full of tea, and threw it at the wall. I didn't flinch as it smashed beyond repair. He pushed me bodily away from him and sprinted for the door. "Damn it!"

Baru came in moments later. "Is that Ki-baka throwing another tantrum? He didn't leave the house." She winked at me. "Young master, do us all a favor and keep him from breaking anything else."

I walked past her, not even glancing back at Mira and Hinata. Akamaru whimpered, but stayed behind.

I found him in my room, of all places. He was sitting on my bed, looking up at the ceiling. I moved inside and closed the door behind me. Glacially slowly, he turned his face to me, and gave me a chilling smile. "Hey there."

I said, "Tell me."

He dragged himself to his feet and shrugged. "I've been getting a bit frustrated lately, I guess."

"Obviously." He glared at me, hands in pockets and shoulders rounded inward sullenly. I prompted, "What have you been frustrated with?"

He sighed and scratched his hair under his hood, then took the jacket off altogether. "I have to be honest with you; this Mira chick gives me a weird vibe." He searched for the right word. I watched as he made a vague, uncertain motion with his hands and shifted from foot to foot quickly.

I finished, "She makes you uncomfortable."

"Yeah. And you don't even feel for her! I mean, you kiss her for the first time and you're still emotionless! What the hell was that?" With every outburst, he took half a step closer.

I brought my shoulders up, receding into my high collar defensively. "I have not studied romantic behavior. I do not know how to act."

"You shouldn't need to study it! God, you really have no idea!" Kiba insisted. He was very close now. He made an angry noise in his throat and pulled my glasses off.

I flinched and closed my eyes a moment too late. "Kiba," I warned.

His fingers touched my cheek, and then my neck, and then tangled in my hair. I was forced back until I felt the wall behind me. In an urgent whisper, almost desperately, Kiba demanded, "Open them. Shino, open your eyes and _look at me_."

I opened my eyes. My increased heartrate was spurring the kikai to move even faster. Now, in the full light, I expected him to show some sign of digust.

Kiba's fingers at the back of my neck forced me to bend down and we kissed again. I wrapped my arms around his back and pulled him closer. He slid his tongue across my lips, back and forth. It was a slippery sort of pressure. Then, he sucked on my lower lip, and I opened my mouth and -

Oh. That felt extremely good.

His tongue darted into my mouth, running along the roof and back against mine. In an experiment, I moved my own into his, and he _moaned._ I heard it and felt the vibrations tickling my lips. Suddenly, I realized that I was trapped by his teeth. Was he biting me? It didn't hurt, but there was definitely a feral quality to it...

He was massaging my scalp. How had he learned to do _that_?

Cautiously, I ran my hand up his back toward his hair, to see if it would have the same effect on him. All I could do was copy him, after all. But when I touched his neck, very lightly, he broke away and I felt goosebumps rise.

He stumbled back a few steps. "I'm sorry! I swear I am!"

I stared at him a moment. Kiba's entire face was crimson, nearly swallowing the clan markings running down his cheeks. He wiped his mouth, still breathing hard, and then scurried to put his coat back on. When he tried to rush past me to the door, I put a hand on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't go out there if I were you," I said plainly. "You look as though you've just had intercourse."

He looked up at me like a deer caught in headlights for a second, and then it disintegrated and he leaned against the door, laughing in little breathless sobs. "You say the funniest things, bug freak." The slide back into the familiar was comfortable. "One of these days I need to get you a slang dictionary."

Ten minutes later, Baru brought us our lunches and told us that Hinata and Mira had left to do something together.

Once Mira was mentioned again, Kiba's left hand spontaneously clenched into a fist every thirty seconds or so. I could only hope that he would get more used to Mira over time.

He smiled for me whenever I spoke, though. That was enough of an improvement for one day.

* * *

(Blushes) My god. Just.. review. 


	10. Touched

Okay, so the updates are getting very irregular. I know. I just finish and get...impatient. It's getting easier to finish, you know. I just need to start... which is still difficult for me. I get on an adrenline-ish high to finish, kind of, and then I reread it until my eyes bleed and then post it. So, hooray.

And reviews help to make me start. (Adi.)

Couples for this chapter: (New) AsumaKurenai. I needed a last scene and my brother suggested it. Oh, and maybe hints of past SasukeNaruto? Mentioning it, I guess. (It's not coming back...as far as I know... No promises...)

But, enjoy. Shino is so adorably stupid. Kiba's getting impatient, and I don't know how to fix it. So, it'll just get worse and worse for him, if he can't just mellow out a bit (he's yelling at me all the time for how mean I am to him). Finally, the Exam arc is about to begin. (_Finally_. How long have I been setting it up, since Chapter Two?)

* * *

The Hokage's office was packed. There were twenty chuunins, standing roughly in the center of the room, talking quietly to each other. Some were simply looking around at the competition to size them up. There were a few familiar faces – Tenten and Ino had instinctively gravitated together, standing five feet away from Kiba and myself. Every other person was years older than us. 

The crowd was hedged in by ten people in jounin uniforms who looked suspiciously as though they were more used to ANBU uniforms. I recognized Itari, standing next to Sasuke. She was talking a mile a minute at him, smiling brightly. Sasuke was staring straight ahead, at stiff attention, just like every other jounin.

Kiba waved happily. Itari waved back. Sasuke seemed dangerously close to rolling his eyes, and he muttered curtly to her for a few seconds. She pouted, whined something back, and he broke attention to look away. She smiled, and slipped into attention as well.

Kiba was watching. "They're getting pretty close, these two."

"It is not a surprise," I dismissed it. "Sasuke has always had a weakness for people who force themselves upon him."

"Sakura does that." Kiba stuck his tongue out at me. "Sasuke never puts up with her for this long without calling her off."

"First, Itari is not one of Sasuke's fangirls, and treats him differently." I debated for a moment over my next words. "Second, he does not consider her to be nearly as powerful."

Kiba watched as Itari moved her arm to poke Sasuke's face and he brought his arm up to smack it away. He frowned thoughtfully. "The only person like that would be Naruto." I waited as the dawning realization crept up his face. "You don't mean that _Sasuke and Naruto_ were-"

"It is an assumption," I admitted. "I am certain that there was an attraction, at some point, even if they did not act upon it."

"Wow," Kiba breathed. "That's really weird." He shook his head and chuckled. "Naruto's not one to hold back when he has an impulse, you know?"

"That is why I said '_if_ they didn't act upon it.'"

His mouth dropped open.

Tsunade stood up in front of everyone. She was actually wearing the red and white robes appropriate to her office. "Godaime Hokage speaks!"

Immediate silence.

Her face softened. "All of you are going to participate in the jounin examination. The preliminaries will be a team competition, freeing a designated 'prisoner' from their cell. The rules are as follows: at no point will you attack with the intent to kill; all three people on the team at the end must be conscious enough to walk into this office with dignity; _no contact_ is permitted between members of competing teams before the official start of the exam.

"The last rule means, clear and simple, no sabotage. Don't wound them. Don't provoke them into wounding you. I'm serious right now; you and your teammate will be removed from the exam dishonorably."

That meant a note on the ninja's file. They would be restricted to high C, low B rank missions for an obscenely long time, and probably disallowed from ever retaking the exam. I saw several faces fall at the news.

Kiba leaned close to me. "How do we know who we're busting out?"

I shook my head to show that I had no idea.

Tsunade said, "You will be paired with someone of your age range and with abilities expected to compliment your own. Generally, it's the brains and the muscle. I'm sure you'll figure out who's who pretty quickly." She shrugged and took off her hat with a disgruntled sigh, and then continued, "If you have completed more than five missions with anyone here, expect them as a partner. It is expected that you will perform well as a team."

Kiba whispered, "Hell yeah, that's definitely us."

Tsunade smirked and looked directly at Kiba. "An animal is considered a viable weapon, for those of you who were wondering.

"I'm just going to repeat this; don't kill anyone. They're all Konoha nin, just like you. That, plus they're all proctors and ANBU members. What they see will be put into a report and on my desk by the next morning with any recommendations. Comprendé?"

Everyone bowed as one.

Tsunade rubbed her right shoulder, looking exhausted. She murmured, "To hell with working. This sucks." Louder, she said, "Meet in the center plaza of the village in one week's time, midnight. Don't be late or you'll regret it."

She waved her hand in dismissal and turned to leave. Shizune, her apprentice and assistant, stepped up quickly and whispered sternly in Tsunade's ear. Tsunade scowled and finished, "The teams are on the wall. Enjoy yourselves. And remember, no sabotage, you idiots."

She stomped out of the room, trying to pull the white robes over her head as she went. She was an old woman, using a genjutsu to look twenty, and acting like a six-year-old.

There was an awkward silence as thirty ninjas pointedly ignored her.

Itari waved good-bye merrily before the proctors, as one, held up their hands and disappeared.

I knew two of the teams without looking at the scroll tacked up on the wall. Kiba and I, logically, but Ino and Tenten were the only other people at our same age. Still, we looked. My assumptions were confirmed, and neither of us knew any other names.

We walked out into the sunlight. Hinata and Mira were sitting on a bench, eating some sort of pastry and talking. Kiba sneaked up behind them, until Akamaru jumped up from where he lay at their feet and cleared the bench in one leap. He and Kiba landed in a heap on the ground, Kiba laughing uncontrollably and Akamaru's tail wagging back and forth.

Hinata said, "Nii-chan, are you alright?" She didn't seem very concerned, for once. Her lips were rouged and she wore a pale violet shirt and black shorts. She wore her hitai-ate around her thigh today, instead of her neck. In fact, without it, her neck looked slim and pale and proudly displayed a gold necklace and blue stone.

I said, "You look very nice today, little sister."

Kiba looked up and scrambled to his feet. "Dude, you're _smokin' hot_! Where are you going?"

Hinata turned red and looked down. Mira answered for her. "She's going to lunch with Neji-kun."

Kiba stared, thinking. Before he asked, 'Isn't Neji on a mission right now?', I said, "I hope you enjoy yourself."

Hinata nodded without looking either at either of us. Her hand wrapped tightly around the blue jewel, the same color as Naruto's eyes. "I-I guess I should go right now, then…" she stuttered, and rushed away.

Mira watched her go, confused. "Hinata-chan is so adorable sometimes. Why would she be so embarrassed about having lunch with her fiancé?"

Kiba snickered, and we all started back in the direction of the Aburame complex. He said, "Um, they're still kind of getting used to being an item, I guess."

She smiled, and then turned to walk backwards and put her arms on my shoulders. "I'm glad we're past that stage now, right, Shino-kun? I love you."

I kissed her. She grinned and walked forward once again.

I was a few steps behind Kiba and Mira. Her head turned just slightly, and Kiba's turned toward her, and _something_ happened.

The next thing I knew, Kiba had grabbed my wrist and we were dashing in the gap between two buildings. He kept pulling me for several minutes, twisting and turning through various alleys. When I assumed that we were lost, he threw me against the wall and yanked my glasses off and we were suddenly kissing.

His hands went everywhere. He was nearly vicious in his movements and all I could do was try to keep up. However, I had not yet mastered the art of breathing while kissing, while it seemed that he had. To stop him, I ran my hands over both sides of his neck. He immediately dropped his head backwards and a small sound escaped.

His hand, clutching my glasses, was on my shoulder. I firmly took them back and said, "Mira's going to be angry at being abandoned." My world went dark as I slid them on, obliterating the weak sun that ventured into our cramped alleyway.

Kiba shook his head and stepped away to lean on the opposite wall. He bit out, "I don't care. You should've seen how she _sneered_ at me just then. Dammit, it really pissed me off, _just_ like she wanted."

"You must learn patience," I admonished. "She's going to be in both our lives for a very long time."

"Hey, be glad I didn't break her face for that stunt," he spat. "Just keep her far away from me, okay?"

I frowned. "That will be problematic. She'll be my wife soon." If she already spent this much time with me, how would I be able to keep her away from Kiba?

"I'll figure something out, then," he sighed. "It's not like she'll be coming on missions with us or anything."

I had the strong impression that his words held more meaning than I understood. Ignoring it, I said, "We will not have any missions until after the preliminaries. We should use the time to work out an attack plan."

He stuck his lower lip out. "Aw, Shino, I don't wanna. I go with the flow in a fight. Plans get me down."

"Tsunade said that one of us was the brains. I believe that the smart one out of us should have at least a rudimentary outline." I knew that this would rile him.

He rose to the occasion and yelled, "You better listen up! You and me are gonna train until we can read each other's minds!"

We could already do that. I said, "That is an illogical plan."

"It's not, bug freak," he insisted. "I don't know what's going on in that emotionally-stunted head of yours half the time."

I simply nodded and looked up at the sky, taking measure of the sun. "Mira surely knows the way back to the house by now," I said aloud.

He snorted. "She better, or she's up shit creek without a paddle. There's no way in hell that you're going back to see that chick again today."

I sat down. "You're abducting me."

He kneeled next to me and said, "That I am, m'boy. She's bad for your health."

I put the back of my head again the hard, cold wall. "That may lead to an early death."

He shifted somehow – I had closed my eyes – and pulled my shoulders until I lay my head in his lap. His long fingers trailed through my hair again. I let out a long breath. I did _not_ sigh in anything approaching pleasure.

Incredulous, Kiba said, "Did you just _sigh in pleasure_?"

Without moving, I replied, "Absolutely not."

He giggled, and then the fingers in my hair moved to both my ears. My glasses were lifted away. He bent double and accused, "You have a very pleased expression, Shino."

I opened my eyes, again surprised that he didn't even flinch. "You're imagining things."

He kissed me again. He was much less furious now, and took his time.

He was right about one thing; I did not see Mira again that day.

* * *

I was training with Kiba, just as we had done from dawn to dusk the day before. I took a step and Kiba guessed, "Um, you're going to…go right?" 

I corrected, "I am going to move right and then forward."

He scowled. "How the hell am I supposed to know that?"

"You are the one training to read my mind," I reminded him. "I do not think that this is necessary. I know you well enough to fight together."

"Yeah, but _I_ need to be able to fight with _you_!" he growled. "What if you have some bright idea, like you _always_ do, and I can't figure it out and mess it up?"

"Then it will be my fault for not accommodating you," I answered immediately.

He stared daggers at me. "I think you'll have to go without the jacket for this one."

"No."

Kiba raised his arms in a gesture of helplessness. "I can't read you like this, damnit! You suck!"

"No."

"It's the only way!"

"No."

"I know that you don't like having the people in town see your scars, but if all goes well we won't even run into anyone else!" he pleaded. "At least for training! If it doesn't help, we won't use it for the real thing!"

I formed a fist and shook my head stubbornly. "I will not be able to use my kikaichu."

Now he calmed down. "Why not?"

I took a deep breath to steady my voice. "You have never seen me use them without my jacket. It is unpleasant."

He sat down, expecting a show. "Let's see it, then. It can't be that bad."

I grimaced in spite of myself. "It is _very_ unpleasant."

"Don't be such a baby."

I hesitated and then drew the zipper of my jacket down. It felt to the ground, and I was left in my mesh sleeveless undershirt. I held my arms out as I always did before using my Kikaichu no Jutsu. There was a long moment when I could not draw in enough air to fill my empty lungs.

I focused my chakra and my kikaichu rose to the edge of the barrier of my skin. I looked at the writhing shapes. I had not seen this for months, myself. I risked a glance at Kiba, and he was staring at my arms as well.

The first kikai broke the skin, and then they all were on the move. I watched in mild horror as my skin rippled sickeningly with the mass exodus. The red underside of my living flesh was occasionally visible as it peeled back. I knew that the dark sinews showing below that were my muscles.

I was an experiment in vivisection.

Once enough of them were out in the open, I looked back at Kiba. His eyes were wide, and his jaw worked soundlessly.

After ten seconds, I called the kikaichu back and it was the same in reverse. Once the lumps receded deeper and disappeared, I dropped my arms and lowered my chin until I remembered that I wasn't wearing my jacket and could not conceal myself behind it.

Kiba was at my side, suddenly. He held his hand out, about to touch my right arm, but then pulled it back and said, "Doesn't that _hurt_?"

I said gravely, "It does. The body adjusts."

Now he gingerly wrapped a hand around my wrist and held my arm horizontally. There were thin, white lines dotting the skin from the back of my hand to my shoulder, and continuing over my chest, abdomen, neck, legs, and other arm. He traced one after another absently. "You didn't bleed."

"The jutsu boosts my chakra so that I heal quickly. It would be useless for their Aburame host to die in the middle of using them, since they would be out of a home."

Kiba looked at me, and there was an odd glimmer at the corner of his eyes. "Shino, how can you be so cool about this? I just watched you get torn to shreds! That's horrible!"

"There is nothing I can do to change it," I answered. "This is part of who I am."

He closed his eyes and bowed his head, still holding onto my arm. "But you're alright now, aren't you?" His shoulders began to shake, very softly.

I brought my other hand up to his cheek and bent to see his face. Tears were falling freely. "Kiba, you're crying."

He swallowed thickly and glared at me. His eyes were dark now. "Shut up, Shino."

"It's…nothing to cry over," I tried to soothe him.

"Shut up!" he yelled, pulling away. "God, how can you _not care_ when something bad happens? You're such an idiot!"

I pulled my jacket back on and took a few steps away. "It's time to stop training."

Kiba sniffled behind me. "Shino, wait," he called.

I came back to stand beside him as he rubbed his eyes petulantly. "Kiba, you shouldn't pity me. It won't change anything."

"I don't _pity_ you!" he snarled immediately. He looked at me, scowling, and then sighed as though the world was on his shoulders. More smoothly, he repeated, "I don't pity you, Shino, trust me on that."

"Good," I said eventually.

He took off his jacket and scrubbed at his face. "Um, okay, just…take off your jacket again. Okay? Let's see if I can read you better."

I removed my jacket yet again, and I felt his eyes on me. "I'm fine," I reassured him.

His eyes were red and puffed up from weeping. The redness bled into his clan markings quickly and he twisted his head to look away. "I'm not worried! Just get going!"

I took one step.

He scratched at his ear. "Yeah, not working. I've got nothing." I gave him a blank look. He shrugged, and suggested, "You know how to read me, right?"

"I know your body language signals," I clarified.

He made a rolling motion with his hand, urging me to follow the thought to the end. "So do the body language thing. Mimic me and say that you're going right and forward."

I awkwardly tried to lean my upper body forward and took one step to the right, just as he always did. It was unfamiliar, but I managed it well enough.

Kiba laughed. "See? This won't be so bad at all."

I put my jacket back on and, in a small show of vengeance, said, "To celebrate…some push-ups."

* * *

"Shino, how's it going?" Kurenai called out to me. I stopped where I was, walking back to my house from Kiba's. My teacher winked when she caught up with me, and we continued on. "I hear your fiancée's pretty," she added innocently. 

In my most business-like tone, I said, "Aburame Mira, from Kumogakure. She is sufficiently nice-looking. I will be happy to introduce you whenever you have a free moment, but Kiba and I are preparing for the exams and I am fatigued at the moment, Sensei."

"That's right, you guys are trying for a promotion!" she laughed. "Well, good luck." She cracked her knuckles, interlacing her fingers and stretching, palms facing out. "Boy, I remember the year I passed the jounin test. That was insane."

I nodded. At least she was sober, as far as I could tell. Most older ninjas didn't seem to prefer sobriety to the alternative.

She ran a hand through her curling, black hair, giving it free reign over where it fell. "Kiba's you partner for the prelims, I'm guessing."

I gave her another austere nod. A headache was fast developing.

When I would have excused myself and turned down my street, she put an oppressive hand on my shoulder and winked at me. "Let's spend some time together, what do you say?"

I was too exhausted to protest. She dragged me toward the North Gate, talking about inconsequential things, for the next quarter hour. Finally, just as we hit the Gate, a deep voice shouted out for us. We both turned as one and Kurenai waved to the two people down the street, walking toward us. They were nearly equal height, though Shikamaru had never quite outgrown his teacher, Asuma.

Kurenai immediately quieted and ran her hand through her hair once more. "Shino, do I look okay?" she hissed.

I didn't look, but, through the joys of protective eyewear, I was able to automatically say, "You look perfect, Sensei."

She tugged the hem of her odd, white-cloth-layered dress down. "Are you sure?"

And that was the end of my patience. "Sensei, Asuma loves you and you love Asuma _no matter what_. I advise you to get it all over with and simply allow him to take you to," I paused for a moment, and then the image of Hinata from days before drifted lazily through my tired mind, "lunch, or an equally acceptable meal."

She blinked at me in absolute shock, and then started giggling quickly behind one hand. Asuma and Shikamaru chose that moment to arrive. Around his cigarette, Asuma said, "I think I just missed an interesting conversation."

Kurenai waved as though she hadn't just panicked over his approach. "I was just teasing Shino because he's going to join the jounin ranks at last."

She tended to lie to Asuma to make herself out to be better. I did not comment.

She flounced (in the most shinobi way possible) away beside Asuma to go to what I assumed was a drinking or gambling house.

Shikamaru had not even greeted us, and remained standing beside me watching them go. He brushed some dust off his sleeve and sighed. "Well, come on, let's go somewhere I can get cleaned up."

We began walking _back_ toward my home. I didn't care anymore; I was more than halfway asleep on my feet. I asked, "Did you have another negotiation mission?"

"Suna again," he groaned. "Temari sent a message about the black market thing she was looking into. These guys from Kusa no Kuni are being uppity over there."

I remembered something that I had told Kiba so long ago. "Could they be trying to incite a war between Hi no Kuni and Kumo?" I asked.

He grimaced and lifted his arms in a shrug. "I'll tell Tsunade, fine…" We passed another block and he asked, "Are you gonna come all the way to Ino's place with me, Shino?"

I wearily shook my head and turned to go. "I can't even talk to her, since we're enemies in the jounin exams. Wish her well for me."

He waved and I trudged back to the complex. It was far past dark, and I had been training all day, and I needed to be awake tomorrow to train some _more…_

Shikamaru called, "Hey, Shino, did you know that Kurenai and Asuma were teammates in their jounin exams? They always managed to get along. I wonder why they didn't get married or something?"

I continued to walk, not looking back.

He laughed, one loud sound. "Tell Kurenai that she needs to either stop picking Asuma up from his missions or kiss him."

I raised one arm to show that I had heard, and went home.

I didn't stop to talk to Mira, when she called out to me.


	11. Is

The calm before the storm.

Today was going to be a day of quiet reflection, disregarding all else in order to focus on the preliminary exams fast approaching at midnight. Kiba and I were sitting in my large front sitting room, silent, cross-legged, and concentrating.

I experimented with my kikai, as always. Could I pinpoint _this_ one, let it go, and then find it again? It was the way Father had taught me how to hone my chakra. How small a task could I mold it to perform?

Kiba, however, wasn't succeeding. I had declared that Akamaru would be a distraction, and now he was leaning right and left listlessly, as though dancing to music. He knew the rules, though: no sound whatsoever for one hour.

Soon enough, I noticed that he was beginning to drowse. I opened my eyes, behind my glasses, and he was leaning back more and more and more, like a tree that was slow to fall. When I heard the _thump_ of his landing, meditation time was over.

I rose to my knees so that I could reach him, slipped my hand under his back between his shoulder blades, and pulled him to sit up.

"Urrgh, Shino," Kiba groaned, "Sorry, sorry, I'll try to," he yawned, "meditate from now on."

"We are finished meditating. Did you clear your mind of distractions?"

More awake, he grinned. "You know me; there are no layers to my personality at all. What you see if what you get. Do I seem like I'm worried about something besides the prelims?"

I inspected him. "Not at the moment, no."

Kiba cocked his head to the side, as though he had not expected that answer. Did I miss a hint at sarcasm yet again?

"We'll eat now," I announced. "What do you want me to ask Baru-san to prepare?"

His long, sharp incisors showed as he shouted, "Sashimi! Get me something raw, baby!"

I nodded my understanding and went out into the hallway. Mira was there, holding her book. She said, "Is the ban on the receiving room officially lifted?"

"Yes. I apologize for inconveniencing you. Kiba and I needed the time to focus."

She laughed, very lightly. "It hasn't bothered me. There are many rooms in the main house alone, and I've been exploring."

I remembered my task. "Join us for lunch. We'll be having sashimi, unless you have another request."

Mira said, "I'd love to. Will Shibi-san be joining us?"

"I will invite him," I said after some deliberation.

She bowed, throwing her long, black hair in every direction. I vaguely registered that she was wearing a white cotton shirt which stretched over her breasts tightly enough for the white… underpinnings… underneath to be clearly visible.

Once she had disappeared through the sliding door, I held my left hand up. A kikai squeezed out of the second knuckle of the index finger and perched on the tip. With my chakra, I imprinted a message on its mind. _"We are having sashimi. Will you join us, Father?"_ Once I gave it its mission, it flew away, and I walked into Baru-san's kitchen to ask for her help.

Once that was done, I walked out into the hallway and took a deep breath. This was going to be trying; Kiba and Mira in conjunction were never simple to handle.

Through the thin rice paper of the screen, I heard Mira say, "The first part of the jounin exams is tonight, isn't it, Kiba-kun?" Her voice had a lifeless lilt to it. She was speaking out of the compulsion to follow etiquette.

"Yes." Kiba, though, was sullenly giving only the barest of answers.

"Will you do well?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure that you compare favorably enough with Shino-kun? Can you be on a team with him?"

We were obviously a perfect team. We had not yet failed.

"Obviously."

"What if you make a mistake?"

"Then I fail and I try again next year."

"What about Shino-kun?"

That was enough time for them to be alone. I opened the door and Kiba looked at me. Mira, back to the door, tensed slowly, from her neck to her back and lower. The atmosphere dissipated.

Kiba didn't say anything, but his eyes were wide and his hands shaking.

Mira turned to me with a bright smile. "Is lunch on the way, Shino-kun?"

I nodded.

She smiled and then there was nothing to say. She recovered with, "Please, sit down."

Mira was on one side of the square table, Kiba was on the opposite, and there were two empty edges. I sat beside Kiba, and he silently moved over.

Her smile froze for a moment, and then she cast out for a conversation. "When will you be leaving tonight?"

"Most likely after lunch," I answered, looking at Kiba. His hand was below the table, fiddling with his pant leg, and his entire body language broadcasted his tension. I released a few kikai and they flitted over to Kiba.

He watched them crawling across his palm, and finally lifted his head to look at me.

Mira said, "What's going on over there? Are you passing notes?"

Kiba smiled blankly and said, "Nope, everything's fine here. Hey, where's the grub? It's been ages."

The food was served. Kiba ate with his typical enthusiasm, and Mira had no taste for the sashimi and steamed rice. It was actually interesting to study them, because of the random, bitter looks that passed across the table.

Mira asked, "Where is Akamaru today?"

"He can't stay still long enough for mediation. That, and he doesn't have random stuff on his mind all the time during a fight."

Deliberately interrupting their conversation, I said, "Kiba will go to his home and retrieve him this afternoon."

She turned to me, now. "So I'll have you all to myself after that?"

I hesitated and amended, "I will go with him."

The screen slid aside with a small rattling sound, and there stood Father. Because I was trained to do it, I stood up, Kiba a second behind me. Mira, back to the door, turned around.

Father moved his hand in a horizontal line at waist level, a sign for Kiba and me to sit once more. We did. Perhaps to balance the table, Father sat beside Mira and Baru-san drifted in with another plate as if by magic.

We ate in silence. After so many years, we had even trained Kiba to know that one does not speak in the presence of the head of the Aburame clan unless invited to do so.

When Father finished, he said, "Are you both prepared for the exams?"

"Yup!" Kiba raised a fist, hyperactive from eating without burning any of the newly-introduced energy. "We are gonna _kick ass_." Of course, he had not yet grasped the concept of polite speech - under any circumstances.

"Is the tradition still kept up?" Father asked, ignoring my friend. They had grown accustomed to each other. "The preliminaries are a search-and-rescue mission."

"Yes, Father," I said.

"Then do not fail," he said gravely. I felt the command settle in my stomach. "Failing in this is the same as failing your comrades and village."

Kiba looked stricken. Mira was smiling innocently at him.

Father said, "However, the meal is over. I will leave now."

Kiba and I stood up again, and Mira, taking the hint, copied us. Father rose and bowed to us, and then made his steady way back to his study.

Kiba sighed in relief. "Jeez, your dad's worse than _you_. Was it just me, or did you get the feeling that he'd kill me if I messed up?"

I shook my head to show that he must disregard it. "It is time for us to pick up Akamaru."

Mira pouted. "I'll see you after the exams, then. I love you, Shino."

I obligingly rounded the table and kissed her. This time, though, she opened her mouth and touched her tongue to my lips. Well, logically, she wanted me to open my mouth.

"Get a room, you two!" Kiba leered, a false smile plastered on his face. "I think I'm gonna hurl!"

I stepped away. Mira stood, surprised, before deflating and turning to go.

Kiba followed her with his eyes, and made sure that she was gone before he sighed and leaned his hands and weight on the low table. "Goddamn, I can't stand her."

I walked to the screen door. "Come on, Kiba. We're leaving."

He jogged across the room to catch up with me and we left the complex behind, walking in silence. When we were halfway there, he turned unexpectedly and I went with him.

"Kiba, this is an alley."

"Yeah, I know, I'm not an idiot," he said.

"Then what are we-" I began, and then he turned on his heel, pulled my glasses off, and we kissed. He touched my lips with his tongue – very similar to what Mira had done – and I opened my mouth. Things, to say the least, escalated from there.

I eventually rubbed his neck (it seemed to work, so why not repeat it?) and he stepped away with a shiver. I said seriously, "You are acting strangely."

Kiba ran his tongue over his lips, and then wiped them, looking at his damp hand. He panted, "You shouldn't…do that sort of thing…with Mira."

"We have kissed before."

He shook his head. "I mean the…tongue-battling part. It's…not good."

That was hardly an explanation. "I do not understand why it is not good."

He made a face at me. "Why are you so smart sometimes, and so stupid at others?" I waited. He pushed his collar down to his shoulder and scratched at his scalp. "The tongue-battling is for shinobi only. It _is_ a kind of battle, right? Like, you can train at it?"

"Yes." Kiba was still better than me at the breathing, and had much better techniques. I was learning quickly, naturally.

"Yeah, well, so, just don't…kiss Mira…like that. Okay, Shino?"

I considered this. It seemed fair. "But what if she attempts to battle me again, like today?"

"Then just distract her, or something. Go for the neck, it feels great whenever you do something."

"I believe that the responsiveness is unique to you," I said slowly. "I do not experience the same when my neck is stimulated."

Kiba flashed me a wicked grin. "Nope! You like it when your hair gets molested!"

I frowned at him. "Must you be so lewd?"

He shrugged and set his face in a totally serious expression. "It makes life more fun." He paused, and added, "In bed." After that, he refused to stop laughing.

I shook my head at his behavior, took firm hold of his jacket, and pulled him back into the street. We picked up our errand where we had left off. After a few minutes, I observed aloud, "You are in better spirits now."

He stuck his tongue out as though he tasted something bitter. "Get Mira away from us. Perfect strategy to cheer me up."

I looked up at the fading sun. "We should hurry. Lunch was late, and it's getting toward evening. I want to be there with plenty of time."

He nodded dutifully and we picked up the pace.

* * *

Half an hour to midnight. Kiba, Akamaru, and I were in the center plaza, as were twelve other participants. However, behind our small knot, a growing crowd had gathered for the street theater that was the Hokage. 

It would be a lie to say that I was not anxious in some way. Many of the older chuunins were retaking the exams for the fourth or fifth time, perhaps more. Who was to say that Kiba and I would not be the same, still trying well into our twenties?

But there were only six teams besides ours. There had been ten listed altogether, and seven present now. Where had the other three gone?

Ino and Tenten sidled up to us. Ino performed her miraculously-louder-than-speech whisper and asked, "What happened to the rest of us?"

Kiba shrugged. I, having been considering that very subject, offered my best guess. "They may have been caught fighting, as we were told explicitly not to do."

"Why would they do _that_?" Ino cried. "That's just stupid!"

Tenten shushed us as Tsunade mounted the platform high about us which allowed the crowd to see her silhouetted against the brightly lit Monument. The Monument was the entire mountainside on the east edge of the village, showing the faces of the four-and-a-half Hokages, since Tsunade's likeness was still under construction.

Tsunade herself, though, was not wearing her official Hokage red-and-white robes. She wore her tan _gi_ shirt, dark blue _obi_ and leggings, open green jacket, and high heels.

The crowds cheered for their legendary Godaime Hokage, and she loved it.

"The preliminary jounin examinations will begin shortly," she announced. Another cheer. "And none of you get to watch the action!" Groans. "Of course, if you all wanted to bribe me…" Laughing and cheers. This woman knew how to play to her people's good humor.

Shizune stepped forward quickly and scolded her mentor with a fearsome face.

Tsunade waved her away. "My mother says that I have to stay focused on this one."

"Like that's ever gonna happen!" a man yelled. There was more laughter following his words.

She smiled. "Alright, alright. These fourteen people are the candidates for promotion this time around."

The lights turned on us, separated from the crowd, and my glasses kept me from having to raise my arm to protect against blindness. I didn't attempt to look at the crowd, though Kiba did. I knew that no one of import was standing in the plaza.

But the people of Konoha, our village, cheered for us.

Tsunade's confident expression settled into a stern one. "But, one of these teams will not be a part of the mission. If you know who you are, step forward."

As the crowd murmured to itself, all of us were stiff and didn't even glance around. No one stepped forward.

"Let me be more specific; one of these teams deliberately led three other teams into being eliminated from the exams by taunting them to the point of counteraction. All six people have reported on exactly _one_ other team as having done this. So, to repeat; if you are who I and all the proctors are thinking of, step forward. _Now_."

Two people reluctantly walked a few yards away from the larger group. The crowd immediately hated them, because they had done a despicable thing and Tsunade's script called for it.

"Why did they cheat like that?" Ino whispered.

"They picked out the most obvious threats and eliminated them," I said stonily.

"It's an unfair thing, to cheat the others out of their chance," Kiba scowled.

"Yes," Tenten said. "But it helps _us_ in the long run. They took out the strongest competition, logically."

They walked away in shame, and we watched them go.

Tsunade turned back to us. "Trying to be the best, and take out the competition, is not what the proctors are looking at. The others have nothing to do with your mission; for all you know, they are working parallel to you for the same cause. Don't sabotage them, because we are watching and we will know. You'll have enough to worry about with all the friendly folks trying to slow you down. Understood?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" we answered in unison.

"All you have to track your target by is their chakra signature. Each of you, pick one that you like and you'll be off when the Hi Bell strikes midnight."

Now, because I was searching for it, I felt the faint chakra traces and trails leading in different directions away from us. They probably all converged again at the same location, where our targets were being kept, and only led through individual paths.

Kiba's nose twitched, and he spoke aloud. "We claim the trail starting in front of the bookstore, you guys."

There was no argument. He began walking to the starting place, his enormous dog clearing a path before him. I watched him, but he did not look back.

Ino made a disbelieving noise at the back of her throat. "That idiot, he didn't even talk it over you first! How can you have teamwork based on _that_?"

I though about the answer for a moment. "He did not choose a bad path." And then I headed for our starting point as well.

Akamaru was sniffing the ground around Kiba's feet. His master, hands shoved into warm pockets, looked up at me. "The trace is going pretty quick. We're not going to be able to track it as it is. But, can you tell who's behind door number two?"

I focused on the thin, dissipating feeling. It _was_ familiar. Nowhere near Kiba's, though, or Hinata's; even below Sasuke's in the amount of contact I'd had with it. But, by thinking of the Uchiha, I knew. "Itari-san."

It made sense, since she had said herself that she would be participating as a proctor. Tsunade mentioned that our targets were all proctors…so we could not be familiar with her on this mission. She would be strictly observing in order to report any mistakes or intelligent choices. And, thinking of such a thing, would she be able to walk out of her prison? Perhaps she was weakened from her 'imprisonment'. What then?

As I pondered the logistics and coming strategy, Akamaru wandered a few yards away and returned with an affirmative bark. Kiba grinned. "The smell stays strong! I figure that we'll get her scent certain sure like this. I mean, she still smells like melons, for whatever reason, and it's heading off in the same direction as what's left of the chakra thing." He smiled happily at me, and then waited for my judgment of it.

In these circumstances, it was fortunate that both of us were specialists in tracking techniques. Kiba's senses were sharp enough, but Akamaru was basically a nose with legs. He would be able to follow a scent more than a week old. Reasonably, Itari had laid out her chakra within the last hour, but deliberately small amounts of it in order to pose some challenge.

Mind still racing with different variables and possibilities, I said, "This is a better start than we could have hoped for. Good work, Kiba, Akamaru."

They both adopted complacent postures and Kiba yawned absentmindedly. "Hey, when're we gonna get this show on the road? I'm bored out of my mind, here."

"Are you tired?" I asked sharply.

He shrugged. "I haven't got any adrenaline. If we get going, the activity will wake me up, but this is flat _boring_." He raised his voice enough that the closest team – I looked and confirmed that it was Ino and Tenten – could hear him. "Plus, Ino's ma didn't let me get any sleep last night!"

Ino rose to the taunt immediately. She shouted, "Shove a twig in it, forest boy! Mom's into _real_ men, not wild animals!"

He stuck his tongue out in a juvenile display, and his laughter, coupled with Akamaru's deep yips, echoed back at us from the silent storefronts and facades in the nearly-empty street.

An ANBU operative jumped from the rooftops to the sidewalk before us, red-and-white mask hiding his face. He wore the typical light blue armor, which shone eerily without reflecting the bright moonlight. A katana was strapped across his back, resting across his left shoulder comfortably to be grabbed quickly with the right hand. He was as tall as me when he stood straight, which was above average, and he had black hair, spiked backwards.

He spoke. "We ask that, while within the village, you remain quiet out of respect for those citizens who are not out tonight. There are five minutes left before midnight." The voice confirmed my suspicions.

"Uchiha Sasuke," I greeted him.

His stiff stance relaxed, and I had the impression that he was rolling his eyes. He removed his mask, revealing a stern face. "We are not supposed to be recognized," Sasuke admonished.

Kiba laughed, more quietly. "No chance. You look creepy as hell in that getup, and any chick in town would recognize that too-cool-for-gravity walk of yours."

Before Sasuke attempted to murder him, I said, "Have we correctly assumed that Itari-san is at the other end of our chosen path?"

He scrutinized me closely, in the half-light. After clearly deciding that nothing would be affected if he answered, he said, "Yes."

Kiba crept forward, and nudged Sasuke in the ribs. "About Itari. How are you two getting along?"

Sasuke stared down at him as though Kiba had grown a third arm. "Excuse me?"

"You know, how you guys kissed a while back," he prodded. "Any repeats?"

"It's none of your business," the Uchiha muttered, turning away.

I hooked one hand in Kiba's collar and tugged him back to our 'starting place'. "I understand. We have three minutes now."

Sasuke nodded and replaced his mask. Slightly muffled now, he said, "Retrieve Captain quickly; the others imprisoned with her are threatening death if she does not 'simmer down'." He disappeared as quickly as he had come.

He had given us important information. We _would_ all be headed to the same place, if the targets were all in one place. But Tsunade had said that we could not sabotage others, which included not injuring or interacting with their targets. If they tried to sabotage us, though…

Kiba watched Sasuke go. "Dude, him and Itari have been making out? Seriously?"

"There is no reason why they shouldn't," I said indifferently.

He shrugged helplessly, trying to make his point. "They're that thing… Like, where he's working under her, and it could affect job performance or something."

I shrugged, a ponderous movement within my jacket. "This village's population did not rise by avoiding love when it arose. If your special person might die tomorrow, would you want useless, archaic rules barring you from being with her?"

He didn't say anything. As I turn to him, the first clear ring was struck on the Hi Bell on the top of Hokage's building.

Kiba flashed me a fanged grin. "Finally!"

Akamaru set his nose to the ground and began to run, both of us behind him.

We were off.

* * *

No words can desribe how much I giggled toward the middle of this. Shino's an idiot, and Kiba's just so _huggable_ all the time. 


	12. Not

Two new characters...and an uber long chapter... Sorry! All of the prelims contained herein!

* * *

Itari's trail was as frenetic and bouncy as the woman herself. Though we started at street-level, soon we were racing uselessly around the rooftops and doubling back repeatedly. After three complete circles, Kiba and I both were beginning to regret the choice.

I said, "Could you not have followed the scent of _any_ trail? All of the chakra traces must have been coupled with a distinct smell."

Kiba shrugged. "It's a village. _Everything_ has a scent. Akamaru knows that Itari smells of melons, so he knows that the melon trail is her. But, if there are five smells in one place and you don't know which one is the one you're looking for, things are bad. There certain places where a lot of things smell alike and it all gets jumbled together. Like, a marketplace would be a mix of lots of stuff. And, people-scents aren't usually nearly as strong as food-scents, so it all gets weird."

This was reasonable. If anyone knew about smells, it was an Inuzuka. We continued on.

An hour into the preliminaries, we finally wound our way out of the village and into the forest. Now it straightened out, and we were able to jump from branch to branch in the trees quickly. A mile out, we both sensed a powerful presence, and pulled up short.

Kiba crept close enough to whisper, "He's about a hundred yards away, I think."

I nodded and held my hands in the base sign for focus. A kikaichu crawled from my ankle and onto the bark before spreading its wings and taking flight. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and

_I was moving through a world of palpable colors and unreal objects. The world surrounded me from all directions, a different view from every facet of my eyes. This was the sight of a kikai. _

_Navigating through the air and between leaves, I came upon a wide clearing. In it was a Konoha ninja, crouched down as though bored. I could not tell for sure whether he had noticed us or not, but it looked as though he hadn't. His hair was a curious flaming orange, and his skin was tan. There weren't any other distinguishing marks…_

_That chore done, I wriggled my thorax happily. My Abu's chakra was so delicious! I had to have more! If only he sent a little more, I would be in heaven!_

I opened my eyes and came back to myself with a sharp grunt, still overpowered by a compulsion to push more of my chakra into the kikai. A human's mind is complicated, but only a very simple version could fit in a bug. While I tried to think along synapses that weren't connected anymore, the bug had more practice and more instincts.

Control was necessary.

I whispered to Kiba, "He is directly in our path. We will have to confront him, or avoid him altogether and risk losing the trail."

He grinned. "Bring it on." I started to move, but he put out his hand. "Remember what we talked about. Time to take off the jacket, Shino."

I had worn my jacket to the exams, despite our training. There were things that members of the Aburame clan did not do in public, and one of them was to bear skin unnecessarily.

Now I hesitated. We had trained long enough for my – as Kiba had termed it – "Body Language Mimic no Jutsu" to be more natural now. I had no choice, since I had promised. I unzipped my jacket and left it leaning sadly against a tree.

As I stood looking at it, he said, "Hey, we'll come back and get it, alright?" I turned to him, and, without another word, we headed for the clearing.

Thirty seconds later, we silently landed on a branch close enough to see the proctor. The kikai I had left stranded there merrily returned, and I ignored the pinch as it forced its way beneath my skin, though Kiba glanced at me for a moment too long.

I felt goosebumps rise all over my skin. The mesh undershirt I wore was not much protection against the autumn night air, and I was uncomfortably cold. However, when Kiba moved his right shoulder forward and up in a kind of shrug, I nodded, and both of us and Akamaru leapt forward onto the grass before the jounin.

He looked up. "You're pretty good at stealth. I didn't pick either of you up until you got to that branch, you know?"

We didn't say anything in return, and he stood up with a sigh. "Right. I'm here to slow you down or knock you out." He adopted the tone of one reciting a list and added, "But I'm not supposed to kill, maim, or inflict otherwise lasting damage. And you can't do any of that stuff to me. Okay?"

"Yeah, we got that," Kiba acknowledged.

"That's settled then," he smiled happily. "Let's get this show on the road."

His hands flashed through the signs for – I searched my memory – Ryuuka no Jutsu, a fire-style jutsu that requires something like a wire to guide it. That would mean that he had a sure path prepared. I looked down. The ground was crisscrossed with ninja wire, nearly invisible in the weak moonlight.

We were standing in a trap.

I grabbed Kiba's arm and jumped away, while Akamaru saw my motion and jumped to the other side of the enemy. The ground before him lit up with flames, but he just laughed and stood up to face us. "You should always check for traps, you know. But a quick escape works just as well, and you must have a sharp mind to have figured that out. That's hot, you know?"

Kiba stepped away from my grip. "Oi, why don't you save the comments for your report?"

He bowed. "Well, since you passed that little test, let me introduce myself. You can call me Soro."

"Damn it, just fight!" Kiba shouted, dropping to all fours. I recognized his Shikyaku no Jutsu when his fingernails grew to sharp points and he openly growled.

Kiba shot forward in a dog's loping run, and then jumped and aimed a kick at Soro's head. When his leg was caught before it connected, Kiba dug his claws into Soro's right arm and bit deeply.

As they were both distracted, I created a kikaichu clone of myself and left it inside the clearing as I hid behind the tree line. There was no clear purpose, yet, but it was always best to have a trump card. I settled down in a quiet place and sent a kikai to watch.

I heard Soro yell and my kikai reported that he threw Kiba back toward a tree at the edge of the clearing, but my clone put out its arm and stopped him before he was injured. Clones are known to behave very closely to those who create them.

Kiba's nose twitched and he did a thumbs-up gesture to show his understanding. He knew about the clone, unsurprisingly.

Soro inspected his arm, bleeding freely onto the ground. "You psycho, are you trying to eat me or something? Keep love bites for the bedroom!"

Kiba bared his fangs, blood dribbling down to his chin and pooling at the tips of his claws. "Maybe I _am_ trying to eat you. Then again, that'd be killing ya, right? So I guess I'll just have to make every inch of you bleed until you pass out!" He flexed his fingers, popping his knuckles loud enough for me to hear.

Soro lifted his chin to indicate my clone. "And, while you're fighting me, he'll do something sneaky, right? Why hasn't he said anything?"

Kiba shrugged. "He's a quiet guy, what can I say?"

I focused my chakra. The kikaichu inside the clone still responded to me, and I ordered them to say, "I will not be required, if you are already injured."

He scowled at me. "So you're the tall, dark, and silent type? How arrogant. Well, you'll have to do _something_ if I attack!"

As he put his hands together, Kiba was already jumping away. My clone crossed its forearms defensively, though the back of it was dispersing, the bugs all escaping the oncoming attack. Only enough remained to maintain the façade of a full clone, now, and the kikaichu flitted back to me double-time.

My scout reported that, as expected, Kiba was performing his Juujin Bushin, making Akamaru look like him; coupled with the earlier jutsu, both were half-man, half-beast. It would be three against one.

Soro said, "Haisekishou!" That was a surprise. This attack was basically a cloud of superheated ash, which, while not an open flame, did not disperse immediately and caused more damage.

The kikai left in the clone screamed sharply, briefly, in my mind, and then were incinerated. No more recovered. I had lost…perhaps twenty percent of the total overall. It would take me a few days to recover fully, but I knew that many new eggs had already been laid.

My clone had chosen the wrong defense. If it had been me, _I_ would have chosen the wrong defense. But then, we probably wouldn't have used me as a decoy for Kiba's jutsu.

Soro cursed. "A clone! Damn that jutsu to hell, that and the body replacement thing. They make the enemy _so_ damn hard to hit, you know?" There was a moment as he focused, and I knew that he found me.

I stood up from leaning against the tree and began the four meter trek back into the clearing. When I was plainly visible, I said, "You were not paying attention."

"Well, that cannibal was trying to kill me, sorry!" Soro laughed with unsettling good humor. "Good one, though."

"You _are_ not paying attention," I revised, just as Kiba hit his shoulders and Akamaru swept his legs out from under him. I stalked forward and saw that Kiba had his fangs pressed snugly against the jugular vein and carotid artery in his neck. "Now, will you surrender?"

He winked suggestively. "Well, I've got one guy with teeth in my thigh, and one that's very nearly given me a hickey already. I don't really consider this an overly bad…position." They way that word was purred greatly reminded me of a cat, though I didn't understand the emphasis.

I reached two fingers into my thigh-holster. Kiba was so taken aback by Soro's comment that he pulled back without thinking. Before he could move, I held a kunai to his neck in Kiba's stead. "Do not speak to him."

Soro made a face. "I take it you're kinda protective."

Kiba recovered enough to step on his shoulder with the edge of his sandal, causing more pain than necessary. "Don't you talk to him, either."

"Fine, fine, I surrender," he conceded. "But one of you're going to have to reach down my shirt since I've got the key to Captain's cell thing."

Kiba tilted his head to the side quizzically. "So you're on the same squad as Sasuke and Itari?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yup, and it's a blast, you know? Captain's a loony all the time, and Sasuke tries to kill me whenever I say so, and Jata's... well, _whee._" He frowned. "How did you know that you were following Igumo Itari?"

"Anyone with a good nose could tell, she's like a fruitastic billboard," Kiba scoffed, looking away. "We've met before."

Soro moved to sit up, paused for permission, and straightened when I withdrew my kunai. "So, yeah, the key's on a chain around my neck, you know? You want I should get it, or one of you?"

It would be too dangerous for him to reach under his own shirt if he had a weapon. Moreover, it was sloppy, and this was a proctor.

Kiba said, "I'll do it."

Soro smirked at me.

"I will," I said decisively. I touched the point of my kunai to the underside of his chin and forced him to look up, revealing the thin grey chin that trailed beneath his collar. Taking both sides of the chain in one hand, I pulled them away and snapped the clasp cleanly. It was deposited in my thigh holster, and the cover secured.

Soro rubbed the back of his neck. "That pinches, you know?"

Kiba snorted. "Yeah, sure. We're done here." He released his genjutsu over Akamaru and relaxed, now visibly human. "Are we gonna go?" I nodded, and Akamaru barked contentedly at a job well done.

As we moved away, Soro called to us. "Hey, what're your names? I need it for the report, you know?"

Kiba put his hands on his hips. "Only if you stop hitting on either of us!"

Soro rubbed a hand over his chin, making a show of considering it. "Well, I guess I can just ask Captain later…"

Kiba grabbed the kunai from my hand and threatened him, but I touched his hand and we moved away from the clearing. Onwards to 'rescue' Itari.

We didn't run into anyone else on the way, though we were always alert. In a way, this made our situation untenable; we had to proceed quickly, but with vigilance. Every time any of us heard something, we would stop and I would send a kikai to check it out. It was a large animal, or something falling naturally, or merely the wind rustling the leaves in a nearby tree.

A red flare sailed up high overhead and to the east of us. It was startling, but posed no threat, so we continued.

Once, my kikai came across a kunoichi some distance away. Her hair was fair and she wore the typical ANBU uniform and mask, soaking up the light. She was writing on a scroll, so I assumed she was a proctor designated to follow us and informed Kiba.

"Damn, I wonder how she thinks we're doing?" he asked casually.

"Do not second guess us," I advised him. That was all. We continued.

Two hours after the start of the preliminaries, we came to a large building built of stones and mortar. It was only two stories high, but it gave the impression of being similar to an iceberg; much more of it was below the ground.

Kiba and Akamaru both raced around the ground just before the door. As Akamaru whined, Kiba reported, "The melons just disappear!"

"Quiet," I scolded him. I tested the dirt and knocked my heel against it for an echoing hollow ring. I said, "This is an Earth style chakra-activated trapdoor."

Touching my chakra to it as a test, some of it was sucked away, and I realized just how drained I was. The female kikai had taken more of my chakra than they normally did because they were laying eggs, and I had not accounted for it. It was an oversight which, if discovered during a battle, could have been deadly.

Kiba smacked his hitai-ate, on his forehead, with the palm of his hand. "And those things can only be opened by the people whose blood is on the scroll that's used to create the door, am I right?"

"Correct." I knelt down over the area, allowing fifteen female kikai to crawl from inside my hand to the dirt.

He cursed, and then craned around me to see what I was doing. "What the hell?"

"The kikai cannot use the trapdoor or its shaft, but they can tunnel down to wherever the door leads."

Kiba eagerly finished, "So they'll get to where Itari is. And I'm guessing those are the girl ones, because you always say that the guy ones can smell the girl ones specially and can find them no matter what…"

"Yes." Once that was done, I stood and turned to the massive, imposing iron door. It was the only visible entrance to the building. "We are definitely meant to go inside."

"Alright," Kiba said cheerfully and bounced toward the handle.

"Stop," I called severely. He froze. I softened my tone. "There might be a trap, Kiba. I will check it out first."

He relaxed, nodded, and stepped back. While I walked past him to send kikaichu through the cracks around the door, he said in a joking tone, "It sounded like you were going to kill me or something."

There wasn't a keyhole. Presumably, the door that the key in my holster opened would come later. My scouts reported that the other side of the door was rigged with exploding tags. I said, "Something would have."

When he thought I wasn't looking, his brows came together and he gave me a very serious, apologetic look. I did not know why.

When the kikaichu had undone the trap, we heaved open the door and peered inside. I already had more kikai moving further down the corridor, and they were reporting a new trap every few seconds. Worse, as they explored, they came to two very dire conclusions; this was a multi-level maze, going up two floors and down four, and that it was a scroll-based genjutsu.

When I told Kiba, he said, "Fuck." After a deep breath, he continued, "So, the scroll-whatever genjutsu is the kind that I'm not good at getting out of, right?"

On missions, after receiving new information, he often confirmed his own knowledge with me. I said, "You typically use your nose to find the person maintaining it and then attack them, yes. With a scroll, the source is absorbed into the chakra of the genjutsu itself, and the only way to disperse it then is to shatter the illusion altogether."

He nodded. "Therefore, we're meant to have to go through the maze, for whatever reason. _And_ it's a six-level, trapped-filled maze that we don't know our way through at all."

I nodded.

"_Fuck_."

I said, "I will simply have the kikaichu find the females I sent down to Itari. They will find the fastest way through, and eat their way through every trap. It will not be terrible, but it will be time-consuming." And chakra-consuming. Perhaps chakra that I didn't have. However, this was still the best solution by far.

He sighed, rubbed Akamaru's head, and grinned, "Alright, let's do that and then go hide, what say you?"

All the kikaichu were already working toward that end. I jumped up to a tree branch, close enough to see the door. Kiba was a second behind me. We settled down to wait.

Ten minutes later, the only that had happened was the appearance of another red flare in the sky. The kikaichu were perhaps half-done. Akamaru was a mammoth ball of crème-colored fur next to the trunk, and Kiba was leaning his back against him blithely.

I had been meditating, trying to rebuild my draining chakra, but finally it was too much and I began to breathe heavily.

Kiba moved toward me. "Shino? What's wrong?"

"Some of the traps kill the kikai," I said tightly, trying to control my breathing. "And whenever one dies, another inside me takes extra chakra and lays an egg. Coupled with those lost in the clone, it is taxing me."

He sighed and began rummaging around in various pockets. "You could have told me." His hand reappeared, holding a dark brown ball. "Here you go. It's a soldier's pill. I have a bunch, because lots of Akamaru's and my moves take up heaps of chakra. It's supposed to keep you going for three days, but it kinda starts to hurt your body after the first one."

I frowned at him. "I know what a soldier's pill is, Kiba."

His worried face fell, and then perked up as I took the pill from him and ate it. It tasted foul, like rotting mushrooms. It must have been reflected in my expression, because he chuckled. "Yeah, they're nasty, tell me about it."

I felt the chakra boost racing through my arms and legs. My body was hyperactive for a moment, and then it adjusted and I relaxed.

I tensed again immediately as I heard two other voices not far enough away. Kiba heard them, too, and slipped the cover of his thigh holster up.

"It's a good thing we found out about that enemy in time to avoid him," one man said as the team stepped cautiously out of the trees and approached the building.

The other, a woman, was holding a summoned bird. She corrected her partner, "'It's a good thing my summoning spell found this thing out here,' I think you mean to say. The trace was gone after ten minutes."

"But it took fucking forever about it," he groused, approaching the door. To us, it looked open, but obviously it was part of the resetting illusion because the man kicked out and hit air and bounced back. "This thing looks unlocked."

They didn't know to look for the trapdoor. They didn't have a key to look for a keyhole to match up.

Kiba and I shared a quick look. _They fail_.

They opened the door and the exploding tags went off. As if prepared for this, an ANBU operative flickered quickly into view above the two burnt bodies. He checked for pulses, nodded, and kicked up a red flare.

From the roof, three other ANBU jumped down and began working up makeshift stretchers. The first, with a half-and-half pattern of the red and white on his mask, said solemnly, "They're both alive. Hurry."

And then they all disappeared, like ghosts, exactly as they were trained.

Kiba shivered. "Now _that_ was freaky."

I took a long breath, and said, "The kikai are done. It's time to go inside."

He swallowed and then both of us flew from the branch, across the clearing, and into the building as quickly as possible. Akamaru would stay behind and guard against the unknown.

And then it was dark. The maze did not have light.

I said, "Hold onto me. I know the way." Technically, of course, the kikai knew the way; there was a line of them on the wall, pointing the way, and as I passed them they moved to my and entered at their leisure.

Only ten seconds in, Kiba, hand holding my left arm above the elbow, sniffed and growled. "I smell blood."

"That would be me," I said calmly, turning right. I was relying more on the kikai than I liked to; I caught my eyes closing more than once, and forced them open in case they caught anything. "The kikai are breaking the skin."

His hand tightened.

After going up, down four times, up twice, down, up the same ladder, and down thrice, he said, "Are you sure that this is the right way? We feel lost."

"Do I seem unsure?"

"Well, no, but how is that different than usual?"

"This is the most direct path."

He didn't argue after that.

Finally, a long while later, he said, "I'm sorry about almost opening the door. It would have failed us out of the prelims."

"You are apologizing for a mistake, when I was the one who allowed myself to weaken," I said, with the air of one who is analyzing a discrepancy.

He said, "That was fixed, though, and it's not like it was going to bite us in the ass too badly."

"And you did not open the door."

Finally, we were on the bottommost floor, and the kikai told me that the genjutsu ended. I put my hand out and touched cold steel. "Kiba, this is the door."

He moved past me and I hear the soft sound as he touched it, too. "Right. Let's find the keyhole."

There was a moment of busy silence, and then he said, "Here. Give me the key." I had to find his shoulder and follow the arm down to his hand to comply. The springs and small parts of the lock clicked into place, and then the air in front of us was empty and we stepped into a larger room.

There still wasn't any light. An invisible man said, "Which prisoner has the chakra that you started with?"

Kiba scampered off, and I stayed in the place he and I both knew I was in. The female kikaichu I had sent down found me and returned, and then Kiba was back. "Okay, I'm carrying her. She's apparently got a broken leg, since Tsunade gets a kick out of making things tough."

To Itari, I said, "Can we use the trapdoor to get back to the surface, or do we have to navigate the maze again?"

She said, "I don't know. How about you, O Disembodied Voice?"

The voice laughed. "Well, if they know about it, it is a viable route. Activate it. But you have to climb back to the surface, now…"

She said, "Still want me to do it?"

"It will save time, and we are both capable."

Kiba made a sound that meant that he could, even with Itari on his back.

There was a small clapping sound as Itari did whatever hand signs were required, and then she said, "Okay, it's directly above me, which means both of us."

Kiba asked, "How high is the ceiling?"

"About a meter above your head. Can you jump it? That's pretty high…"

"Shino, give me a boost," he said, now focused on the new task.

I put my hand out, found a body part, discovered that it was Itari, and switched to him. I knelt, keeping a hand on his leg, and then took his spot as he stepped away to make room. Hand together, I said, "Ready."

His sandal stepped down on my hands, he put all his weight on it, and then I slowly and carefully rose, keeping my arms steady to help his balance. When I was standing with his foot level with my waist, he said, "Here's the ceiling…here's the opening. One step to the right, okay?" I obliged, and then he took some of his own weight with his hands. "The walls are sheer. The only way to climb is by using our chakra to attach ourselves to them."

"Understood."

He disappeared completely. A few seconds later, he said, "I'm clear. You can come up."

Not willing to risk jumping and missing, I created a clone and had it help me, as well. I found the opening, adhered myself to the smooth earth walls, reabsorbed the clone, and began to climb. "How far about me are you?"

"From your voice, about two meters. You have a little space, but not much."

And so we climbed up the darkness.

Probably halfway up, I heard Kiba huff. I said, "Itari-san, we're going to switch you."

She said brightly, "Okay, Aburame-kun! Just tell me what to do, and remember about my leg. Other than that, I can do whatever. Sasuke was trying to explain the rules to me, but he didn't get very far."

Kiba had stopped. I climbed until I touched his leg, and then had to use it as a guide to his back, glancing over various bits of his anatomy in between. "I'm below you." From Kiba's back, I move to what I knew was Itari. She was soft and smooth to the touch, and I had to wonder why she wasn't wearing the ANBU uniform that all the other proctors were.

"That's my thigh," she informed me, and I removed my hand. She giggled. "So, I'll slide down Inuzuka-kun and then onto you?"

Kiba made a small noise, but I ignored it. A mission was no time to become embarrassed. "Yes."

There was the rustling of cloth against cloth and when I put my hand up again she was much closer. She said, "My butt this time."

Be that as it may. I positioned her to better complete the task, and she continued. Her legs passed my shoulders before she said, "Whoa. You're not wearing your big jacket. And is this just a mesh undershirt? You must look hot!"

"Focus, Itari-san," I said, as Kiba began to laugh. When she was secure, I said, "We can continue."

Now, I had to expend more chakra to stay on the wall. If I had begun with my usual level of energy, without the factors of either the mission so far or the soldier's pill, I would have been exhausted. I was reminded of the difference between Kiba's and my base chakra levels.

We reached the top after a very long time. Easily more than an hour had passed since entering the maze. That meant that approximately three and a half had passed since the start of the preliminaries. We had to keep moving. Akamaru rejoined us, and we took to the trees, and I was sure that the proctor tailing us began to move, as well.

In the moonlight, Itari leaned over my shoulder and said, "What did I tell you? You're all…flat and muscle-y straight down," she ran her hands as far down my front as she could reach, surprising me so much that my footing nearly slipped. The hands migrated to my sides, fingers catching in the netted fabric I wore and leaving slightly warm trails. "But you've still got a bit of a waist and all. You're downright sexy."

Kiba gave her a look of abject horror and then burst into laughter, clapped both hands over his mouth to keep somewhat quiet. "Oh, god, _finally_ someone says it!"

Out of spite, I confided, "Kiba has a waist as thin as a woman's."

Itari giggled, and Kiba flushed scarlet. The ANBU captain said, "Now that's gotta be something to look at."

To change the subject, Kiba said, "So, um, we talked to Sasuke earlier, and he says that you two have been going out." Sasuke hadn't said that, exactly, but it was inferred.

Itari hummed to herself. "I guess so," she conceded. "I don't think he's really the type to fall in love or anything, though."

"But you still make out with him and everything?" Kiba prodded.

"If by 'everything' you mean amazing amounts of sex, then, yup," she said brightly.

Kiba's jaw dropped. "But you guys only kissed for the first time, like, a month ago or something!"

"It only takes a little adrenaline and a lot of lust to fuck, Inuzuka-kun," Itari teased.

Kiba's blush was worsening with every word.

"Oh, wait, you're a virgin?" Itari said, realization dawning in her tone. "That's so cute! Aburame-kun, look, he's all pink and adorable!"

Kiba looked like he might explode with embarrassment. I said, "I have not had sex, either." He flashed me a relieved, grateful smile.

"Well, yeah, but you and Mira-chan are getting married, right? It's not like you'll stay that way."

Kiba's expression turned to horror again.

Itari laughed. "You're really fun to watch, you know?"

The words 'you know' reminded me of Soro. I said, "Do you know if we will have to defeat Soro again on the way back?"

On my back, she attempted to bounce with excitement. "You guys got to play with So-chan? Isn't he fun?"

Kiba, recovered, snorted. "Yeah, he's lots of fun, Itari-san."

"And Jata-chan? Didja meet her?"

"Soro mentioned her." I considered it a moment. "I believe that she is the one following us."

There was a small sound, akin that that made by Sasuke's fans when he appeared anywhere. "You're being followed by Jata-chan and you _know_? That's really cool!"

"Are we going to have to fight Soro or not?" I asked again.

"Let's find out, you sexy boy!" I would not get any information out of her, if she even knew anything.

We were approaching the clearing in which we had fought Soro. We landed on the grass cautiously, and I checked for wires but there were none.

Itari waved over my head at the far tree line. "So-chan! Jata-chan! Come on out and play!"

Soro hopped out into the moonlight, leering at us. "Captain, you're riding that boy hard! I'm telling Sasuke!"

"The murder's on your hands, then!" she yelled back merrily. I was slightly uneasy, but hoped that they were joking. Itari sounded surprised when she asked, "Where's Jata-chan? They said that she was following us."

Soro's eyebrows shot up. "You two're a lot better than I thought."

The ANBU woman that my kikai had spotted suddenly flickered and appeared in the center of the clearing, writing on her scroll. Her hair was dirty blonde, and unevenly cut at chin-level, as though she had used a kunai herself. When she reached up and removed her mask, her face was round and pale and her eyes almost violet.

Soro walked up to her, and it became obvious that she was very short, only shoulder-height to Kiba. He looked over her shoulder and read aloud, "'Detection of trackers: passed.' That's not fair, you know? They must be really good to have found you _and_ gone through the maze and be back here so quickly, Jata-chan!"

She silently slid her eyes over to him, and he stepped back.

"I mean…um, Jata-san." He cleared his throat and said, "I guess you know best…"

Itari whispered, "Jata-chan scares him ever since he was attacking someone and she killed them without him even noticing. I don't really get why, since she's the nicest girl." She raised her voice. "You're really a nice person deep down, right, Jata-chan?"

Jata looked at her captain, closed her eyes in something approaching exasperation, and nodded solemnly.

"Of course, she doesn't really talk too much," Itari continued happily. "She and Sasuke get along great."

Kiba and I looked at each other. That was highly unlikely.

I said, "It there isn't going to be a fight, we do need to get back to the village."

Soro stepped back and bowed, showing the way with his hand. "You'll definitely be the first ones back, you know? Enjoy!"

As we went past, Itari called to Soro, "Hey, you think this one's hot, right? I keep telling him, but he doesn't respond!"

Soro beamed. "Oh, I'd fuck him, totally."

Itari said to me, "You see? Told you so."

Kiba dropped his face into his palms. "We just have one mile until we're back in town, just one, I can _do_ this…"

Akamaru barked. It sounded suspiciously like he was laughing, too.

We sprinted the last mile, without stopping. When we hit the edge of town we slowed down, because I remembered that Kiba hadn't had a soldier pill and he _had_ to be getting tired.

Itari yawned widely. "Jeez, I don't see why they had to have this happen at midnight. It's like four or something."

"To test them," Sasuke said, appearing next to our small group, mask in one hand. "This marks the end of the preliminaries. Igumo's cell, testing Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba, completed at 3:54 am."

Itari hopped off my back ecstatically. "Yay, Sasuke!" She jumped up to hug him, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck and legs around his waist.

He didn't react, keeping pace with Kiba and me. "The Hokage must travel. The main exams will be rescheduled.

Kiba groaned. "Give us a break! What the hell could be so important?"

"Negotiations," Sasuke said shortly.

Itari continually tried to kiss Sasuke, but he moved his face away. She pouted, "Hey, kiss me."

He motioned to us with his eyes.

"Oh, like they don't know," she shrugged, grabbed his cheeks, and attacked him tongue-first.

Kiba chuckled, and shook his head, and then passed out.

I caught him, said, "I knew it," and then took him to his home.

* * *

I know that I added two new characters. I don't know if they're going to be major...but, with the way I write, Jata and Soro are probably going to be back. But, that's all of Itari's cell. I promise. And I know that Soro's oversexed, and it's annoying how he says 'you know?' all the time... it's not as cute as 'un', but less annoying than '-ttebayo'.

And, that's right, no main exams...yet. I'm going to go from here to Kiba's birthday, too, and then time gets iffy and I'll start going past weeks or months at a time, instead of days. I just had to introduce them, you know? (Gah! It's tuck in my thought patterns now!)


	13. Impossible

Hah. Barely anything happens in this. But, it's nice, and I like it. Tell me if it feels...rushed.

* * *

The pre-dawn temperature was jarring, and I buried myself in my jacket up to my cheekbones.

After the preliminaries a few weeks before, there had been a few uncertain hours during which I had attempted to fall asleep and failed, definitely due singularly to the soldier's pill I had taken. Finally, I had gone back the mile into the forest and retrieved my jacket in time to wake Kiba and force him to restore a normal sleep pattern.

Now, in a similar situation, I was inside Kiba's disorganized tent. There was the heap of weapons in one corner, and, closer to the elevated cot, the heap of everything else he owned. On the cot was a pile of furs, and, under the furs, there was Kiba's marked, relaxed face.

I touched his cheek with the back of my finger, drawing it down along his red fang-shaped stripe. "Kiba."

He grimaced and pulled the furs up over his head.

"Kiba, wake up."

A small, hoarse groan. "'S too early."

"This is the regular time. Dawn is beginning to come later."

A stubborn eye glared out at me. "'S too _cold_, then. No training today."

I frowned. "Of course not. I had assumed that you would want to enjoy this day as much as possible."

He blinked up at me, confused, and then gasped in shock and beamed. "Shino, Shino, guess what day it is!"

"Your birthday."

He threw the furs off, shivering violently, and dove into the pile of clothes next to his cot, making a few quick decisions. "And guess how old I am?"

"Seventeen."

He stood up, dressed, and looked at me expectantly. "And, and, where's my present?"

I reached into my pocket and drew out a black-and-tan wrapped box. He snatched it and tore through the wrapping paper easily.

He held up the black, elastic band. "What the hell's this? Smells like your chakra."

I brought my chin down, going even further into my jacket. "It is worn on the upper arm. When your chakra flares out of control, it will tighten noticeably, and you will be able to focus on the feeling and regain control."

He didn't frown, but he wasn't smiling anymore. "So, basically, it'll hurt me until I'm back in the driver's seat?"

"To an acceptable extent," I admitted reluctantly.

"And you think that I need this?"

His expression was an unusual one, almost self-deprecating. I would need to be careful when answering it. "You sometimes flare, usually out of anger. This will help you direct that anger in the context of a battle, or to dismiss it in a social setting."

He smiled at me, but it was still empty. "I'll wear it some other time, okay? I don't want restrictions on my birthday."

"I understand," I said, turning around. I pushed the tent's flap aside and discovered that it was still colder outside the enclosed space. I stepped outside, avoiding Akamaru.

The three of us walked through the Inuzuka territory, finally coming to the gate and taking the well-known path to Hinata's house.

"Not that I don't think it'll help, of course," he said, after a long time of quiet.

I didn't say anything in response. Whether he wore it or not was no business of mine.

When we arrived, Hinata was outside the front gate, hand over her mouth.

Kiba grinned and waved. "Little sister, get a move on! We're taking the village by storm today!"

She hurried up, shoulders high, hand still hiding her lips as she said, "U-um, Nii-chan, your…" and then mumbled the rest.

"My what?" Kiba asked as we began moving again.

Hinata coughed, or perhaps giggled timidly. "Your face is all marked up…"

His mouth dropped open and his hands flew over every inch of skin. "What? Where? Get it off!"

When I judged him to be in enough of a panic, I pulled a long, black permanent marker out of my pocket and showed it to the world. "Naruto has instructed everyone to play a prank on you today, Kiba."

"What the hell! You didn't have to draw on me!" he screamed, rubbing the sleeves of his jacket over his face desperately. "God, Shino, this is _totally_ not the time to grow a sense of humor!"

I shrugged. "It was an opportunity to explore the theory of F-U-N."

He looked like someone trying to remember, and then snapped, "I said not to cause me emotional pain, either, damn it!"

Hinata smiled and murmured, "Nii-chan, happy birthday…"

"Thanks, Hinata," he sighed, still scrubbing at his face steadily. "Damn, damn, damn. Why did that bastard Naruto tell you to draw on my face?"

"He's only telling them to prank you, at least…" Hinata trailed off.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "You know, dear little sister, the fact that the sentence you just let pass you lips had _only_ in it is offensive to me."

"Sorry!" she squeaked, blushing.

Suddenly, Lee flickered into view with his honed speed. He was in his fighting stance, hand and wrist in a stiff straight line in front of his right shoulder. He shouted dynamically, "I will now Proceed to Mercilessly Prank you in Celebration of your Birth!"

Kiba watched him in exasperation. "That's not going to work, Lee."

Lee frowned and showed us the water balloon in his other hand. "I am Prepared! Nothing can Fail if one is Prepared!"

He threw the balloon. Kiba, being similarly Prepared, stepped out of the way. The balloon splashed harmlessly on the ground.

Lee held both of his hands in front of him. "How could I have been Foiled? I was Prepared!"

Kiba clapped him on the shoulder as we walked on. "Better luck next time, Lee."

After another few minutes, I answered his earlier question. "Naruto's vendetta against you may have to do with the infamous Beat Naruto with a Stick Day that you instigated."

Kiba laughed deep in his throat. "Ah, good times."

And then Naruto hit his shoulders from behind and bore him bodily to the ground. "How do _you_ like it, teme?"

Kiba struggled to stand back up, even as five clones also grabbed him. There was a brief struggle, and then all of the Narutos produced matching aerosol cans. After a long moment of wet spraying, the clones disappeared and the last blond jumped back to his feet.

Kiba sat up, coughing and wiping white goop from his eyes, nose, and mouth, though it was still everywhere on his face and hair. His hood had been pulled away from his head altogether. "Fuck, chibi! Is this _whipped cream_? How is that even a prank?"

Naruto stood in an imitation of Lee's good guy pose. "Now it's your turn to feel the burn! Suffer, Kiba! I want your tears!"

"You goddamn psycho!" Kiba yelled, swiping at him, but a new wave of the dessert topping slipped from his forehead into his eyes and he was blinded. He screamed in frustration. "Why the hell didja pick whipped cream?"

"I hope you choke!" Naruto raced off, skidded to a halt not too far away, raced back, pecked Hinata on the cheek, and sprinted away for good.

Kiba spat on the ground out of spite. Both his hands wiped straight down over his face and splattered whipped cream at his feet. Next, his fingers pulled through his hair, somewhat cleaning it and mostly spiking it arbitrarily. "Screw him, I'm telling Tsunade!"

As we walked with him, Hinata red from the neck up, Kiba pulled his hood back on. Then, he discovered that Naruto had filled it with more whipped cream. He wound up covered in cream again, and we walked toward Tsunade's office more quickly. He rubbed sadly at his cheeks, whining, "I'm sticky now, and I still have all that marker on me…"

Hinata shook her head quickly. "You don't have marker on you, Nii-chan."

He stared at her. "Yeah, 'cause Shino said that he drew all over me."

I said, "I lied."

Now he stared at me instead. "What? So I really don't have black on me?"

"You do not," I confirmed.

He looked at me for a moment, and then laughed. "What was the point in that?"

I shrugged as we reached the office building and began the journey up the stairs. "You would not like having marker on you, but, by lying, Hinata and I have completed Naruto's mission for us."

He pressed his face into his hands and then walked straight into Father, who had been coming down from Tsunade's office. Father stopped, and Kiba nearly fell backwards down the stairs before I put a hand on the small of his back.

When Kiba had his balance, I bowed perfunctorily.

Father stared down at my friend through the dark Aburame glasses. "You are underfoot."

Kiba rubbed his nose. "Dude, Shino's dad, this is _so_ not my day."

Father drew himself up and straightened his shoulders, and his deep, intimidating voice boomed, "I am the head of the Aburame clan, and no insolent Inuzuka boy will address me with such blatant disrespect."

With each word, Kiba's neck shrank another inch, until his ears were touching his shoulders. He choked out, "S-sorry, Shino's – um, Aburame-san…"

Father walked past us and down the stairs until he was out of sight. We stood looking in the direction he had gone, and Kiba shivered. "I swear I'll never figure you two out."

I said, "That may or may not have been Father's prank."

"Then it was a very good prank, Onii-san," Hinata said tremulously.

Kiba growled and took the rest of the stairs three at a time. He didn't stop to knock on the Hokage's door before slamming it open. "Hokage lady!"

Tsunade was sitting at her desk, reading her reports. She looked up, saw it was Kiba, and stood with a frown. "You shouldn't be moving in the condition you're in, Inuzuka."

His triumphant smile dropped. "What condition?"

Her voice was hushed as she turned his head from side to side, inspecting the underside of his chin. "Sakura told me herself that she noticed swelling of the lymph nodes and other early signs of lymphatic cancer. Have you felt any joint pain?"

Kiba withered. "Ano…in the mornings, it does ache a bit…"

Tsunade nodded sadly. "I'll get Sakura in here right away to check you out." She turned to Hinata and me, standing just outside the carelessly opened door. "I'm sorry, but this will only take a little while, you two." As she closed the door, her one visible eye closed and opened mischievously.

A few minutes passed, and Sakura entered the room.

A few more minutes passed, and then Tsunade called us in.

The Hokage was seated at her desk, hands laced together in thought. Sakura stood before her, next to a cleaned Kiba, who had lost his dirty jacket and wore only the standard mesh undershirt. He was obviously anxious.

Tsunade said gravely, "Your growth could be stunted from here on, and, with your hormones out of whack, there's no telling what will happen. You're still in the years of puberty, when most lymphatic cancers develop. You might even develop the characteristics of a woman if you get too much estrogen."

Kiba was silent for a beat, and then his eyes narrowed in belated suspicion. "What was that last one?"

Tsunade nodded. "I mean, of course, the physical attributes, to match your effeminate personality."

And then Sakura started spouting peals of laughter, and Tsunade broke down, as well. The apprentice took Kiba by the arm – he yelped – and showed him to the door. "Don't worry, you're still young, you'll adapt! Oh, and, just so you know, I made your nerves hypersensitive when I examined you." She shoved him hard enough to make him stumble, and then smiled. "Not permanently, though! Have a happy birthday, Kiba."

Kiba rubbed his arm and grumbled miserably. "You've got to be kidding me. Just a little bit starts to hurt!"

"What now, Nii-chan?" Hinata asked, hurrying to catch up as Kiba stomped down the stairs.

He flashed a manic grin at both of us. "You know what, my favorite little sister? How about we just go around and let everyone get it out of their systems! Doesn't that sound like _fun_?"

I said, "And that is sarcasm."

"_Yes_, Shino. Yes, it's sarcasm. Score one for the home team," Kiba sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Ow! Damn it!"

Back on the street, tanned, smooth hands wrapped around Kiba's arm and pulled him to stand with their owner, Tenten, and Neji. The latter looked tired, and stepped forward immediately to wrap Hinata in a quick, gentle hug, which was returned, and then stepped back.

Tenten winked and said happily, "Happy birthday, Kiba!"

Kiba waved his hand to get rid of the formalities. "Cut to the chase, chickadee. What's the prank?

Tenten elbowed Neji, who hung his head in defeat. She raised her voice and yelled brightly, "Everyone, I have an announcement!" Various people slowed down to listen. "This is Inuzuka Kiba, and it's his seventeenth birthday!" Scattered applause. "And now, to completely embarrass him, I'll have my lovely assistant tell you all the color of his underwear!"

Kiba blushed. "Now, wait a minute, that's really not a good idea…"

Neji turned to Tenten with hope in his pale eyes. "Yes, it's an extremely bad idea."

She glared at him. He rolled his eyes and the familiar veins appeared as he strained to use the Byakugan technique.

A few seconds passed, and then Neji hissed and slapped his hands over his eyes. "For the love of God, Kiba, take more precaution when dressing next time!"

Tenten pouted. "What? What color?"

Kiba was darker than Hinata. "I was in a hurry!"

Hinata looked at both of them, confused. "What's wrong? Should I do it?"

"No!" they both shouted at the same time.

I touched Kiba's arm and led him away, bowing a short goodbye to Tenten and Neji. The three of us wandered through the streets again, until we found a friend.

"Mira," I said, bowing.

She set down the book she had been considering purchasing and smiled at us. Today she was wearing thick navy pants and a white sweater, her long hair in a loose tie. Mira approached me and hugged me, murmuring, "I love you," in my ear as she looked past me at Kiba.

I kissed her, and then she turned and grasped Hinata's hand in both of hers. "And, I have to hear about how your wedding plans are going!"

Hinata laughed softly. "You say that, Mira-chan, but your wedding is only a month away, and mine is so far."

Mira giggled, putting her hand over her mouth. "Well, yes, maybe I also need someone to talk to about _my_ plans!"

Kiba peeked at Mira over Hinata's shoulder warily. "And what's _your_ shtick?"

She blinked at him, and said, "What are you talking about, Kiba-kun?"

Hinata explained, "It's Kiba's birthday today."

"Oh." She was disinterested. "Happy birthday, Kiba-kun. Are you enjoying it?"

"It's been a blast so far," he said, poking her shoulder and then jumping back in a defensive stance.

She watched him with a blank expression. "Are you alright?"

He relaxed and walked to stand next to me. "I guess I'm fine."

I noticed Naruto creeping toward us via the rooftops and said, "We will need to be going soon, Mira-chan."

She nodded and repeated, "I love you."

I kissed her, and then she ran her tongue along my lip, the signal that she wanted to tongue battle. My mouth released hers to press against her jaw in short intervals, and I slid my hand from her side to her wide hip, and then back up until her skin became too soft.

She giggled and gently pushed me away. "Okay, enough, Shino-kun! I'll see you at dinner tonight, right?"

"Yes."

Kiba pulled on the back of my jacket's collar, separating us. "Bye-bye!" And then we were walking away from her.

Naruto sidled closer. I knew that Hinata noticed him, and Akamaru knew the scent too well to react much.

Kiba stopped walking. We looked back at him, waiting for him to catch up. He looked up suddenly, took firm hold of my sleeve and started to drag me toward a small gap between buildings.

And then Naruto dropped down in front of him. "So you discovered me! Don't just run off!"

Kiba flushed and let me go. "Yeah, Naruto, of course I discovered you – you suck at stealth. What the hell do you want?"

Naruto grinned. "How's your day going?" He waved hello to Hinata excitedly, and then regained focus.

Kiba scowled and snapped, "Everyone's being mean! This is all your fault!"

Kiba's mother, Tsume, walked past with her partner, the black wolf Kuromaru. She stopped, sniffed, and then turned to us, her red clan markings making her look more vicious than they did Kiba. "Hello Kiba, Hinata-chan, Shino-kun, and Idiot." Naruto no longer argued with her about her name for him; he and Kiba had been friends long enough for Tsume to know him.

We all bowed in one form or another, though Kiba added some nuances and affectations with his neck and arms unconsciously.

Tsume lifted her chin in acknowledgment, and then bared her fangs in a smirk. "Guess what I was doing seventeen years ago?"

Kiba smiled, but meant it to be more of a grimace. "Yeah, yeah, Ma! You say that to everyone, every year!"

Tsume looked each of us up and down. "What smells like lust?"

Hinata and Naruto looked at each other quickly, and then both turned away at the same time. Kiba's expression slipped off his face and he stared at his mother in terror, putting one foot behind him and crossing his arms defensively. I stood silently by, watching the others' reactions.

Tsume raised her eyebrows at the display, and then leaned closer to all of us, taking a deep draught of the air surrounding each. She hummed in thought, and then pointed to me. "You're the least suspicious here. Come on and tell me what's happening. Don't any of you move."

We went to the other side of the street together, and she said, "Alright, so I get the deal with the idiot and the cute one, but who's got my son smelling like he's ready to jump their bones?"

I said solemnly, "I have never fully understood the behavior of odors, Tsume-san."

She flicked her head quickly to look at Kiba and then back at me. "I can smell him on _you_, you know."

"He is my best friend."

"He touched you _after_ he went lustful, Shino-kun," she barked, and then looked at Kuromaru. "Kuro says that you have another scent all over you, too. How many people have you been kissing, exactly?"

I shifted my weight to my other foot. "I have not kissed Kiba."

She scoffed, "Not today, maybe. Scents linger, bucko."

"We have established that I cannot help you, Tsume-san," I said.

She shrugged, and we headed back to the others. "I'll just get it out of Kiba later, you know, if you have anything to say to me."

I said nothing. She laughed.

When we returned to my friends, Hinata and Naruto were talking, so Kiba and I left them where they were and continued on.

A quarter of an hour later, we encountered the most rambunctious group yet; Itari and her ANBU cell.

Itari was riding on Sasuke's back, legs around his hips and arms around his neck. She nearly strangled him as she waved. "Inuzuka-kun, Aburame-kun, guess what?"

"The main exams are finally rescheduled?" Kiba guessed.

Soro groaned. "I wish, so then we could put all the planning behind us. The time slot for 'em was a rare one, you know? It's not easy to just move everything around for them."

Sasuke said, "I have no part in anything that come next, for the record."

"What?"

Jata, small and slight and imposing, stepped forward and pulled her right leg back as though she were going to kick Kiba in the shin. Naturally, he protected himself, and she put her leg back down. From somewhere inside her loose brown dress, she produced a small, wrapped box, handed it to him, and stepped back.

Kiba opened it, confused. "Okay then, I got a… um, what is this?" He held up a small, square, foil packet, with a circular object pushing the middle out on both sides. After he read the label, he made a small choking noise.

Itari grinned. "Okay, so, Sasuke said that it's your birthday, so we got you something everyone needs at some point – good luck, by the way – and then this really awesome guy with blond hair said that we had to prank you, so Jata's was to not kick you."

Kiba rubbed his temples. "Where did these people learn to prank?"

Soro dropped his arm across Kiba's shoulders, and Kiba squeaked. Soro laughed, shaking him back and forth. "Come on, we're all friends here, you know?"

He ducked out from under the arm. "That hurts, okay? A medic made me all hypersensitive!"

Soro took a moment to process that information, and then leered. "This'll be fun, then." He reached out and his fingers brushed the outer edge of Kiba's ears, very lightly.

Kiba yelled, "What the hell are you – oooh my God that feels good…" His eyes slid closed and he leaned his head back, similar to when his neck was touched.

I grabbed Soro's wrist. "You are finished."

He smiled impetuously. "Yeah, I guess I am, you know?"

Last and loudest, Itari jumped down from Sasuke's back and pointed to Kiba's breastbone. "What's this on your shirt?"

Kiba sighed. "I'm not going to look, Itari-chan."

Jata drifted into his line of sight, magically holding a kunai.

He flinched and looked down, and Itari tapped his nose. "Hooray! Mission accomplished, and it's time for dango!"

They (actually, only Itari and Soro, arms linked) merrily skipped away again.

Kiba sighed, shook his head, and sat down against the nearest building. I sat next to him and set my hand, palm up, on his knee.

He waited a heartbeat and then put his hand on mine, very lightly moving his fingers and stroking them over my skin. "It doesn't hurt if it's light, apparently," he whispered, sliding his shoulders on the wall until his left one touched my right.

We sat watching the citizens of our village hurrying past. I said, "Happy birthday."

"It's been a lively one, hasn't it?" he chuckled, still touching me slowly.

Gai, Lee's beloved sensei, rushed up to stand in front of us, posing with one hand empty and one with a water balloon ready. "I will now Proceed to Mercilessly–"

"Just keep walking, Gai."

* * *

And...the next chapter has nothing to do with Christmas, but it's a present to you all the same. 


	14. Simply

Oh my God. Merry Christmas, my beloved fans (but mostly HK Keiji).

_**Warning, and seriously read this**_: As of chapter fourteen, the story Lies is officially rated M. So...yes, don't read this if you somehow read this far and don't accept male/male sex or relationships.

Proofread by Adi88, who still refuses to tell me what she thinks. Adi, _never_ tell me to add more _ever again_. Bad things happen.

This is far and away the longest fic I've ever written. More than a hundred pages already (about 104, in 12-point font, I think). Remember, merry Christmas and happy New Year. (I wrote this and thirteen simultaneously so that I could send it off to be proofread. I really need to start writing ahead of what you're reading... so tired...)

* * *

We were sitting in Ichiraku's after training, a week before my wedding. Tsunade had cancelled all of our missions. All those directly involved would also be finished with their assignments two days before the ceremony. 

Kiba had a get-together planned for the night before, also. It was extremely illogical to me; I and all of the men were invited, and we would all need sleep for the morning. Why would a social gathering – coupled with the obligatory amount of drinking at all Inuzuka functions – take precedence?

Kiba pouted at me. "Will you _please_ come?"

"I see no reason to do so," I answered simply.

"Because I asked nicely!" he whined.

"I do not support the abduction of the wedding party, Kiba," I said simply, pulling the last of the noodles from the bowl and pushing it away from me over the counter. "Even if you have coerced all of the other men to come, I have plans for the next day."

He shrugged. "Not very _important_ ones…"

"I'm getting married to Mira," I said sternly. "And _you_ will be my best man. I will not have you be ill during a serious tradition."

Kiba flinched at my words, scratching at the counter with his fingernail. Akamaru, from beneath the stools on which we sat, barked and put his front paws on the counter, followed by a drool-covered ramen bowl.

We paid and left. It had become darker than expected; autumn was forcing sunset sooner and sooner. Because my kikai were nocturnal, they were becoming more sluggish in the mornings and evenings.

Kiba yawned. Because of our close bonds with animals, both of us rose and slept with the sun. One must feel the rhythm of a living thing before it is understood.

Kiba, apparently, had not forgotten our discussion. He said, "You and I both know that you can stay awake if you want to. Just look at the exam prelims last month! You stayed up all fricken night and were still all chipper and train-y when you woke me up."

"Losing sleep for a mission is far removed from attending a party," I said gravely. "I will not go."

He watched me in silence as we headed for my home first. "You seriously don't know why I'm having a party the day before your wedding?"

I shook my head to show that I did not.

"Ya know about, like, wedding traditions and all that, don't you?" he tried again.

"I know the traditions better than you, Kiba."

He waved his hand to dismiss my words. "I mean, like, the _unofficial_ ones. Like how the chick and the guy don't sleep in the same house the night before because they're not supposed to have shagged before the 'I do's."

I turned to him in the fading light, easily seeing everything despite my dark glasses. "I have no idea what that means."

Kiba tilted his head vacantly before he realized what he'd said. "Oh, you're both supposed to be virgins. You know _that_ part, don't you?"

I nodded. "And, as far as I know, we both are."

"Well, you're still not going to sleep three doors down from her tonight, are you?" he asked as though scandalized. When I shrugged inside my jacket, he said, "After the party, you're sleeping over at my place. You can't go around living in sin right up to the day of your wedding! Plus, all the girls are gonna be over at your place, and you might get cooties."

"That makes no sense whatsoever, and that is not what Mira and I are doing," I said sternly.

"Shino, I'm throwing you a bachelor party, and you damn well better be there," he declared in the tone he uses when he is prepared to throw a tantrum in defense of his goals.

There was a long pause. Then I said, "I will not do anything ridiculous."

He sniggered. "Not when you're _sober_."

* * *

The auspicious day soon arrived. 

Late in the afternoon, I stood in the large clearing in one corner of the Inuzuka clan's lands, where a few men from the smaller branches of the tribe were building a bonfire. A similar tower of wood was being erected more toward the center of the complex, since no Inuzuka could hear about a private party nearby without wanting to enjoy themselves, at well.

Being useless, I decided to find Kiba, whose tent was closer to the north-eastern edge of the territory. Kiba had staked out his space when he turned fifteen. Since he wasn't very influential in the clan's hierarchy, and didn't have a family yet, his tent was small and isolated, and I knew it on sight. For one thing, Akamaru would be sleeping, on his back and paws in the air, out front of the entrance.

On the way I passed several primitive tents, some larger than others, depending on whether they housed a family or a single person. The Inuzuka clan, in claiming their huge acreage, hadn't tamed the forest within it so much as they had asked it to move aside a bit. There were trees too thick to see between, as well as sudden breaks where a branch of the clan had had their tents for years.

All the locations were subject to change, as well. If anything was found to be undesirable in an area, the entire family could be moved as little as three feet to the right, or they might migrate to the other side of the Inuzuka lands.

I reached Kiba's tent intact, for the most part. The tents that had seemed so near after my second date with Mira, when Kiba and I had first kissed, were now gone.

There was Akamaru, tongue lolling around outside his open mouth. My smell was so familiar that he did not stir when I walked past and into the small enclosed space.

Kiba looked up as I entered, half-dressed. He finished tugging the loose shirt on and said, "Are they almost finished with the fire? People are going to start arriving soon."

"They are on schedule," I said.

He made a face. "You know that my family only says that to you because you ask them when they'll be done with whatever they're doing. That phrase alone is starting to mean 'I'll get it done in my own time'."

I shrugged. "Then they will get it done in their own time."

He laughed, and then a thought seemed to occur to him. "You know Mira?"

I said, "Yes, I do, Kiba."

He searched for words for a long moment. "You haven't been… um… tongue-battling with her, have you?"

Sometimes, Kiba still pulled me somewhere private and we would kiss. It wasn't unpleasant in any way. If he didn't think it was odd behavior, it was acceptable to me.

Mira told me frequently, at last daily, that she loved me, and then we would kiss. It was different with her, though, because when she would try to tongue-battle, I moved to stimulate an earlobe or another area. She seemed to enjoy this and would make other suggestions, or return the attention.

I said, "No, I have not."

He grinned at me, pulled on his jacket, and we left. "Just checking."

* * *

A mere two hours later, the bonfire was roaring and most of the others were far past drunk. All of the guests were those that we had grown up with and fought with, but there was no denying that a shinobi had random idiosyncrasies. Alcohol only magnified them. 

Lee, in Celebration of my Vow of Love and Youth, had challenged several innocent trees to a friendly sparring match and won in a shower of little bits of wood. Neji had tried to stop him, but, after having a few small glasses himself, laid himself full out on the ground, folded his hands over his stomach, and quietly slipped into unconsciousness.

Sasuke had stayed dry and level-headed for a very long time, considering, but Naruto had challenged him to a drinking battle and now both were slurring their way through a long retelling of mission after mission.

Lazy Shikamaru and kind, overweight Chouji, both never rowdy, had simply taken most of the available food and settled down on the grass as usual, near enough to hear Naruto's loud voice and in a perfect position to watch Lee dancing through his off-balance world. Chouji had been invited and was welcome, even though he wasn't an actual groomsmen.

Kiba refilled my cup whenever he could, which was not often. Even with his efforts, I drank slowly and sat still against a tree near the fire, silently experimenting with the warm hum through my body and under my skin with the kikai. If I moved my hand, the tips of my fingers blurred slightly until catching up with the rest.

Kiba himself was sitting with his back against my knees, working through at least his second full bottle, jacket discarded with the warmth that inebriation brings.

Finally, Sasuke and Naruto settled down, and Lee gleefully woke Neji only for both to disappear again almost immediately. Chouji said, "Hey, Kiba, how can this be a bachelor party without girls?"

Kiba, always a good host, absentmindedly passed his bottle back for me to hold. "Well, I tried, alright? I know that I got Sakura and Ino, because they're both exhibitionists at heart."

Shikamaru shrugged. "It makes for a fun time in the bedroom, virgin-boy."

Unfazed, Kiba continued, "And I'm pretty sure that Neji convinced Hinata." Naruto's goofy smile lit up his face. "Oh, and I told Itari about it when I saw her yesterday."

Sasuke visibly paled. "You told _Captain_?" he asked, aghast. "You willingly invited her to a party in the context of entertaining men?"

I said, "You also abducted the bridesmaids."

Kiba grinned. "Hey, half the guys here are promised to people already. It's not like I should've picked up some hookers."

That was when we heard the first squeal, approaching rapidly. Itari landed on the last elevated branch before our clearing and stumbled slightly. "Hello, boys!" She was wearing all black, in the form of high heels and a gratuitously form-fitting, lacy dress.

Sasuke shook his head and said, "Captain, how did you get directions here?"

She giggled and half-fell out of the tree, landing perfectly fine on her feet but then seeming unable to keep from stumbling brightly onto Sasuke's lap. "I don't remember!"

There was a small sound next to me, and then Jata stepped out from behind the tree I was leaning against. Her legs were covered in sheer lavender stockings and an overlarge knit sweater which drifted off her shoulder and reached down past her thighs, accenting her eyes prettily and making her look like a small doll.

Sasuke wasn't surprised by her presence. "Jata-san, did you come from the main party nearer to the gates?"

Jata nodded with a deliberate cadence.

"Did she drink anything?"

The petite girl produced a kunai – it was considered rude to ask a kunoichi where she kept her weapons – and dragged it down the trunk beside her once in a tally mark.

"Just one drink?" Sasuke asked, incredulous.

Jata shook her head in negation.

"A whole _bottle_?"

A solid nod. Sasuke sighed and held Itari's hands away from where they were trying to artfully twist underneath his shirt.

Next, Hinata, Ino, Sakura, and Tenten arrived in a group.

Our little sister was costumed as some sort of mouse character, with a grey corset, ears, and shoes, and then a long pink tail. Naruto took her hand and they fell deep into conversation on reflex.

Ino was a cat character, sporting blond ears and tail. She was attractive enough in the daytime, but now Shikamaru pulled his girlfriend down on top of him and they were soon lost to the world.

Tenten's hair was down from its usual twin buns, and dropped to her shoulders in waves. Other than that, her clothes were normal, as she had obviously disagreed with whoever (probably Ino or Itari, or both) had chosen the girl's clothes for the evening.

Sakura, wearing a cute, short kimono with a cherry blossom pattern, frowned at Itari's continued endeavors to make Sasuke uncomfortable. Then, she and Tenten resolved themselves to entertain Kiba and me, and struck up a conversation.

Jata remained standing beside the tree, listening silently. I was reminded of the exams, when every person we encountered had been evaluating us.

Tenten said, "Really, thanks for inviting us. Spending the night at Shino's house is a little bit weird." She looked over at me and shrugged apologetically. "Shibi-san would walk past the door every few minutes and look in and we all would have to quiet down or suffer death. Except Jata-san. She tried to stare him down, and it was extremely entertaining."

Sakura giggled. "We still don't know who won! Itari-chan started doing Jata's hair and then we all had to get ready..."

Somewhere not-too-far off, Itari giggled and Sasuke chuckled in response. Sakura began twisting the hem of her kimono and didn't turn around to look at them.

Apparently oblivious to her friend, Tenten said, "Mira-chan's really excited. I'm so happy for you, Shino!"

Kiba reached behind him and I handed the bottle back.

Sakura said, "She's excited, yeah, but I feel a little bad for coming here when she can't see you until tomorrow."

I said, "Mira is not a weak person. She will survive."

Kiba, still leaning against me and facing away, took a long swig and then either coughed or laughed. Itari make a particularly loud noise and Sakura took the drink out of Kiba's hands for her own.

Suddenly, Jata stepped softly past us and sat next to Sasuke, staring straight ahead of her. Itari reached over his shoulder and touched her cheek with one finger and then laughed. Under her, Sasuke's pale face faded to pink as Itari's motion nearly pressed his face into her chest.

Tenten shook her head. "Mira-chan's really nice. I mean, accommodating. She was trying to make sure that all of us had everything we wanted." She winked at me. "You're lucky to have her."

I reached forward and touched Kiba's neck. He leaned into it.

Sakura said, "She strikes me as optimistic. She completely left Kumo behind and dove into making friends here. I just don't have the heart to tell her when something's different from how she grew up."

"Yeah, optimistic," Kiba grunted. "Very, very optimistic." He took the bottle back from Sakura.

"I felt really bad for her at first," Sakura went on. "But now she'll have you, and everything's going to be alright."

Kiba's arm dropped to the ground and his hand wrapped around my ankle.

I said, "Yes, it will."

Just as Ino and Shikamaru stood up and began to creep away and leave Chouji behind, Lee and Neji returned, but they didn't join our conversation. Instead, Hinata and Naruto called them over, and they all blended into one group easily.

Instead of Itari, it was _Sasuke's_ moans that reached us next, and Sakura stood up. "Um, I think that the girls should go. Busy day tomorrow, right?" She raised her voice. "Ino, get your clothes on, we're going!"

Seconds later, Ino stalked out of the trees blushing. "For your information, forehead girl, we were only making out, and I was still dressed!"

"'Still'?" Sakura mocked her, not looking down as she put her hands on Itari's shoulders and tried to guide her away from Sasuke.

Jata stood up from beside Sasuke and stood in front of Sakura. The height difference skewed the intimidation, but it was there nonetheless.

Sakura's hands let go of Itari as though the captain was on fire. "Itari-chan, it's time to go."

"Fine," Itari pouted. "Bye, Sasuke."

Sakura flinched at the more personal name, and then turned to her crush. "Oh, Sasuke-kun, it looks like you got bruises from somewhere. I'll heal those for you, if you want."

"All over his neck?" Shikamaru laughed, rubbing his own red skin. "Have you gone dim, Sakura?"

Sasuke said, "No. If you healed them, some people might not know to stop throwing themselves at me."

Sakura took a deep breath, turned away from him, and walked slowly out of the camp. We heard her choke once, very quietly, and then Ino and Tenten raced after her.

Itari leaned down and whispered something in Sasuke's ear, and then took Jata's hand and they left, too.

Lee, Neji, Hinata, and Naruto came closer to the fire. My teamate said, "I should go, too."

Naruto smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

Hinata nodded, squeaking, "We're both part of the wedding, Naru-chan." She hugged him tightly, and then let go.

Lee put his hand on Neji's arm and pushed him forward. Neji said, "Good night, Hinata."

She hugged him, too, and then looked up at him and swallowed. Neji leaned further down and then they kissed, very quickly, and stepped apart. Lee put his hand back on Neji's arm and Naruto pressed his forehead against Hinata's.

Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Sasuke had apparently lost interest and were nursing full cups.

After Hinata had left, Kiba stood up. "Okay, so I got my third-cousins to set up a big tent for you guys. You ready to go to bed? It's just south of here."

Neji said, "I'll go."

Beside him, Lee nodded quickly. "We must have Energetic Souls for the Bond of Love tomorrow!"

Kiba sniffled and rubbed his nose. "Hey, what smells weird, guys?"

"Is it alcohol?" I said quietly.

Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Chouji stood, as well. Sasuke said, "I will sleep."

The four of them walked south together, toward the clearing nearby.

Kiba watched them go and then banked the dying fire carefully. "Come on, you can sleep in my tent. It's got more personality."

I managed to stand up and walked ahead without him.

He caught up quickly, and said, "Hey, Shino?"

I would have answered, but he pushed me against the tree we were passing and took off my glasses.

There wasn't enough ambient light to see my eyes like this. "Look at the sky for a minute, okay?"

I looked, and he made an annoyed sound and proceeded to try to climb high enough to see my eyes. I was too tall for him. He held my shoulders and jumped to press both feet against the tree, straddling my body, using chakra to hold himself there. Slowly, his peeked over my chin and then he was looking down at me with an unusual expression on his face.

"Shino, you're getting married tomorrow," he said slowly, tracing his fingers up my neck.

I nodded, but the motion brought his hand into my hair, and he began to massage.

"And you're going to have your wedding night… Open your eyes."

My eyes had closed without realizing it. I obediently opened them. I didn't try to respond, considering the proven dangers.

"I was thinking, maybe you shouldn't have sex for the first time with Mira."

I looked up at him, and he released his hold on the tree to put his weight onto me and kissed me, sliding down until my hands supported the weight and stopped the fall.

"Kiba, you're drunk."

He made a light, laughing little sound and leaned against me more to whisper in my ear, "It's a party. Aren't you drunk, too?"

I considered it a moment. I _was_ slightly off-balance, leaning mostly on the tree at my back to keep us both up.

"Shino," he murmured, sending a small tingling through me, "let's have sex."

Without thinking, I kissed him, and he kissed me back forcefully, untangling himself from me. His hand wrapped around my wrist and he led me back to his tent.

Once inside, he spun around and kissed me again. This was softer than before, as he tried to unzip my jacket with trembling hands.

I knew that he wasn't drunk. He had lied to me. The purposeful and lucid look on his face as we stopped kissing long enough for him to pull his hitai-ate off was proof enough of that. He knew perfectly well what we were doing and what it would mean later.

Then again, I had lied, as well. I knew just as well, and I was still pressed against a soft tent wall, pushing off his jacket while he deftly pulled up my shirt. It was probably thrown to the ground; I didn't even look.

His tongue was back in my mouth, and he was pressed hard against me, both his lips and his body. We were both aroused – _very_ aroused. I moved against him, and then broke away to breath in quickly. _That_ had felt _good_. Why hadn't we done this before? We had only kissed for the first time six months ago, and the tongue-battling was enjoyable, but this was better.

Then, I thought of why we had not, and I firmly pushed him away and said, "Kiba."

He gave me a dazedly confused look that said, _"You know that this only works if neither of us talks, right?"_

In as steady a voice as I could manage, I said, "I am not drunk."

His eyes – when had they become so brown and feral? – widened, and he looked away, taking a step back for good measure. "I-I'm not, either." There was an underlying tone of _something_ in his confession.

"And…you still want to…" I allowed my voice to fade. I could not say it.

"It's my virginity we're talking about, too, not just yours," he croaked, attempting to sit on the grass-covered ground in a way that did not advertise his erection to the world. It didn't work, but I ignored his discomfort. If I was still standing, completely visible, he could bear it, as well.

I took stock of my clothes, and asked, "Where are my glasses?"

He tossed them to me, and I slid them in place.

After a short silence, I asked, "Why would you want me to be your first partner?"

Now he looked incredibly uncomfortable. "I think I want someone that I really, really trust, or else it won't work. I mean, first of all, you both have to be naked, and with us that's nothing new. Second, between guys, it hurts if you're not careful, and you'll definitely be careful."

Neither of us suggested that he might be with a girl.

I removed my hitai-ate. I was spending the night here, after all. Considering his words, however, I discovered something rather important. "I have no idea how two men have sex."

I had been told a few things by Father (during a massively awkward hour of silences at the age of ten) and I had heard enough from others (mostly Kiba) to fill in the blanks. I had seen Hinata nude before – on long missions in close quarters, this was inevitable – and I knew how everything worked. But how could Kiba and I…fit together?

Kiba, thoughts apparently following the same path, turned crimson. "Hana-nee-chan h-has books that she showed me when I told her I was," he nervously began cracking his knuckles, one by one, "interested in that sort of thing."

I could calm myself down with the prospect of learning. "What has to happen, then?"

In the half-lit tent, I lost his clan markings to his blush. "You need lube…lubrication, or it'll hurt for the one receiving, and you have to stretch them out, and then it's a lot like with a girl…"

I blinked. Differing anatomy advocated the next question. "Where?"

He choked, and shook his head. After some deliberation, he dug through the pile of things that he owned, all stacked in one corner. He came back almost immediately, shoving a manga into my hands. Making a vague motion with his hand, he sat down again, not looking at me.

I opened to the middle of the book arbitrarily. Talking about being at work in an office building. That bore no answers. I flipped a dozen pages, and found things about two men loving each other. Closer, presumably. I flipped again, and – what was this, pornography? Proud of myself for not dropping the manga in surprise, I forced myself to look for the answer. Where would…

Oh.

I understood.

Now I _did_ drop the book. Kiba flinched and did not look up. I said, as levelly as possible, "And that is…pleasurable?"

"It looks like it. I wouldn't know," he mumbled.

I didn't say anything. I thought of Mira, and having sex with her the next day. 'Someone I trusted' was definitely Kiba… "Who would do what?" If I thought about it logically, I would not blush. I clarified, "Giving and receiving."

"I-I would…um…" He growled, tugging at his hair with both hands. "Damn, I really hoped that this would be one of those 'no words, just emotions' things that you read about…"

I raised an eyebrow. "You read women's romance novels?" The teasing was an easy fallback.

He lifted his head to glare at me. No teasing. We couldn't be 'best friends' right now. He stood, and _stalked_ toward where I sat on the bed. His fingers ran through the hair at my temples, nearly petting me. "I'll be on bottom. It doesn't matter," sliding my glasses out from behind my ears. "Okay?"

I leaned closer and kissed him. It was a natural motion, now, and I felt him smile as he settled his weight on my lap. I slipped my tongue into his mouth, and he pressed back, until I lost my balance and he was on top of me, spread across the bed. My hands pulled his mesh undershirt up and over his head, because it was only fair, seeing as I had already lost mine.

He got off and began tugging his pants off. I shrugged and did the same, and it was an easy thing, since this was something we had been doing in the same room for years.

It wasn't the same at all.

Then, we were back on the bed, only this time Kiba was below me, as promised. I hesitated, fervently wishing that I had spent longer reading that manga.

What now?

He blushed again, reaching for the pile adjacent to the bed. "U-um, next is lubrication. I guess I'll do it, I know how to…" He pulled his knees up, trying to slide out from beneath me. I moved to the foot of the bed, intending to watch and learn the required steps. If nothing else, it would prevent this incredibly awkward conversation from ever again occurring.

He unscrewed the cap on the tube and spread some of the stuff on his first two fingers. The cap was replaced, and the tube returned to the miscellaneous pile. The hand moved and then froze, and he whined, "Shino, turn around! You're staring!"

I obediently turned. His words made no logical sense whatsoever. If we were going to have sex, I would see everything inevitably. To be self-conscious was useless.

What was preventing me from learning? A kikai crawled from my abdomen and alit on the wall. From here, I used its eyes.

Kiba checked twice to make sure I wasn't looking, and then his hand moved down to his stomach, and then lower, and his fingers-

"That makes sense," I said aloud.

His eyes, closed in concentration, snapped open and searched the walls. "I told you not to look!" he squeaked. "Call your stupid bug back!"

I shrugged and it returned. The visual had been too much from me, in this condition. Kiba was…touching himself, and naked (which I had seen before), and very hard (which I had not). But, I was the same. The wet, squelching sounds I heard did not help.

Finally, Kiba said, "O-okay, I guess this is good enough."

I turned back around and froze. Kiba looked indescribably alluring, spread across his own bed, daringly meeting my eyes.

But I had to focus on the next step. Thinking of that, I asked, "And now?"

Looking firmly away and mouth set in a determined line, he reached out and smeared the slickness from his fingers onto me. It felt good, but he looked uncomfortable, so I felt guilty for enjoying it.

"Then it's just…you know."

Jolted out of my reverie, I climbed on top of him again, neither of us making an attempt at eye contact. There was a busy moment as we tried to find an acceptable position. We settled for just him bending his knees and spreading his thighs enough for me to access his…the place where…

How did people enjoy this? It was ludicrously embarrassing.

Then, I push forward carefully and discovered the attraction.

* * *

Afterward, there was silence. Our eyes met, and he blinked up at me blearily. 

I smiled at him. Kiba sucked in a breath, pulled me down to lie next to him, and kissed me. It only lasted a few seconds. He was falling asleep, obviously; neither of us much believed in staying awake past sundown, since the natural light was gone, and it was far past that.

A final thought seemed to occur to him. "The room smells different. If this is what sex smells like, then," he trailed off in shock. "Oh my God, Lee and Neji were…"

I stared at him.

Some people really are blind.


	15. Do

I don't really like this chapter. But it's got some unplanned Jata goodness. And... you know that you've been addicted to yaoi for too long when the thought of a guy and a _girl_ is gross. (Me. This chapter is rehab; I still chickened out at the end.)

I hope you can all stand the _mention_ of yuri. (Yuri being female/female, like yaoi is male/male).

Enjoy the angst, and the wedding, and the Helpful Talk, and then me wimping out.

* * *

I opened my eyes. 

It was the day of my wedding to Mira.

It was dark, and the air on my face was cold. It smelled like fur and dog and I had had sex with Kiba.

He was wrapped around me and nuzzling into my neck and if I moved my hand just a little bit I could rub his neck–

Kiba pressed further against me and moaned, "Shino, what time is it _oh fuck_." He sat up, leaning his weight on his arm, looking down at me in abject horror.

Idly, I realized that I was not wearing my glasses. Looking at his expression, I had a sudden deep urge to retrieve them.

I sat up, swung my legs over the edge of the cot, stood, and discovered that Kiba had been keeping me warm. My glasses were on the ground, and I slid them on.

From how much he was shivering, the warmth had been mutual. His voice was shaking as he said, "Shino, please–"

"We should get ready," I said, peeking out the tent's flap at the soft pink of the edge of the sky. "It's dawn. The wedding is in approximately three hours."

I reached for the yukata I had brought for the sole purpose of wearing it to the wedding. On top of it in Kiba's pile was a small tube and my hand froze above it. After the hesitation, I pull the fabric out from under the tube and held it up straight.

Kiba was sitting on the edge of the bed, breathing in and out in quick, shallow bursts. "We should talk about this." I could hear, at the very edge of his voice, a small whimper that meant he was in danger of an emotional display.

I slid my arms through both sleeves and wrapped the silk robe around my body. "There is nothing to talk about."

There was a little gasp as though the breath had been knocked out of him. "No," he sobbed, "no, no, there's something to talk about, we had sex last night and now my back and waist hurt like hell and _look at me!_"

I dropped the obi I had found and turned to him.

His hands were over his mouth. "Shino, why can't you ever see me?"

"I have always seen you."

"That's not what I mean and you know it," he snapped, reaching for the pile as he perched at the foot of the cot. His hand brushed the tube and he threw it across the tent. After he considered his words, he said, "Well, okay, you don't know. But that's part of the problem."

I picked the obi up again. "You are Kiba, and that is all. What is wrong?"

He pulled his own black yukata around his shoulders, looking at me surreptitiously. He sighed deeply. "Nothing's wrong, Shino. Never mind. Should we go wake those idiots up and play Who's Got the Hangover?"

We stepped out into the brightening world, in our matching dark yukatas. Mine was more elaborate, with small glass beads running a track around every seam, catching the light.

It was time to get ready for the wedding.

* * *

The groomsmen knelt in the silent anteroom. On the other side of the screen was the traditional wedding room of the Aburame. Each major clan had different customs, and usually celebrated internally. However, because Kiba was my best friend and he was so exceedingly outgoing, my ring of friends spanned many different clans. 

Shikamaru held his head. "So I've officially not got anything left to throw up."

Neji frowned. "Who instigated a drinking party the night before a wedding? It's an incredibly bad idea."

I nodded firmly. Kiba insisted, "It's just another tradition, alright? For the Inuzuka, at least."

Neji shot back, "Drinking is traditional with _anything_ for the Inuzuka."

Lee raised his arms above his head and cheered, "This is but a Solitary Day in Your Youth, but its Meaning will Shape Your Future! The Excitement! The Anticipation!"

Kiba turned to glower at him down the line of men. "You know what, Lee? Now would be a great time to shut up."

Naruto, hands over his eyes, groaned, "Kiba, you're an ass. Don't be mean to Lee, he's adorable."

"Adorably annoying," Kiba muttered petulantly.

Neji glared at him. "Inuzuka Kiba, this is an outright ultimatum."

Shikamaru, the peacekeeper in this instance, said, "Tell me, Kiba, why aren't you hung over? Are you just immune at this point?"

Beside me, Kiba growled, "I _don't_ drink that often, for the record. And," he finished mumbling, "I kinda got Hana-nee-chan to give me something to counteract alcohol poisoning…"

Sasuke snorted, "Why? Then you can't get drunk at all. The effects are a result of the poisoning."

I looked at Kiba, and he kept his back to me. He hadn't been drunk at all, at any point, then.

On purpose.

Shikamaru said, "On top of which, isn't your sister a _veterinarian_? How could she give you anything at all?"

"She's the only one I take medicine from," Kiba said stubbornly. "People-doctors don't get it. And Hana-nee-chan's really smart."

Shikamaru's IQ rolled its eyes at him.

Kiba trailed off, "And…like, she's nice, and pretty, and she doesn't make fun of me quite as often as Ma does…"

Neji said, "We get it, Kiba, you have a sister complex."

"Well, you're engaged to your cousin!" Kiba spat.

Before it was out, everyone was in motion.

I pressed my hand over his mouth as Neji took a shuriken out of his obi, Lee stood up in an attacking stance, and Naruto clapped his hands together for a jutsu. I said, very sternly, "Ignore any and all statements. You all know where we stand with Hinata. Kiba simply has a short temper."

They slowly, warily knelt back in their places. Kiba's face burned, and then he stood up. "I'll be back in a minute, alright?"

I said, "There are five minutes before the start of the ceremony."

He ignored me and limped out to the small rock garden visible through the open screen. Because I was at the front of the line, I was the only one with the angle to see him. Kiba pulled his right arm out of the yukata's sleeve, took a small, black, elastic loop from the fold of his obi, and then slid it up onto his right bicep muscle.

At the edge of my mind, I felt the expenditure of my own chakra as the loop contracted. He rubbed his arm and hissed, and then slipped his yukata back on and was still fixing it when he came back in the room.

He grinned happily. "So, anyway, Shino, how're you holding up?"

I said, "I will survive this."

He leaned close and whispered, "Are you sure?"

I didn't glance away from the rice-paper screen.

Very, very soon after, the screen was opened and there stood Father. In a row, first I, and then Kiba, Neji, Lee, Naruto, Sasuke, and Shikamaru stood up.

As I passed him, Father set a heavy hand on my shoulder. Quietly, only to me, he said, "Shino, I am proud of you for doing this so willingly."

I looked at my beaded yukata for a moment. "It is for the clan," I said back, still very quietly, still very evenly.

I brought my head up, and blinked. I was eye-level with him. When had Father, my role-model, the former ANBU, the biggest influence in my life, become my equal?

He shook my shoulder almost gently and returned to his seat. The line filed out into the main chamber and we sat in our rehearsed places.

There was a small audience at the north end of the room, near the entrance. North had been set in stone long ago, because it meant good will and guardianship.

Mostly, the guests were the adults and much-older people to whom I had become somewhat close. Tsunade was there, as the honored Hokage, kneeling in the first row and at the far right side. Her best friend was next to her (and with a decidedly hand-shaped imprint on his cheek); this was the white-haired, eccentric toad ninja and Naruto's teacher, Jiraiya. Then there was Kurenai, sitting beside Asuma, who glanced at her every few seconds.

The second row was the last; Akimichi Chouji, Inuzuka Hana, Inuzuka Tsume, and Soro, who had been invited in light of his entire cell being involved in the ceremony itself.

On the east wall, chosen for prosperity and luck in childbearing, there was the line of girls. Ino, Itari, Jata, Tenten, Sakura, and Hinata were all wearing their hair back, held with pretty glass pins, and white kimonos that were as nondescript as their male counterparts' black yukatas.

And beside Hinata was a beautiful woman.

Her straight, black hair had been left down, with tiny, ornate combs catching it up behind her ears. This displayed her long neck and leading the eye down to her sliver-fan-patterned white kimono. Her nose was under pronounced and her eyebrows were traced over and darkened perfectly. Her lips were full and red, and her eyes were covered by slim, dark sunglasses. Here was my bride.

Next to and a little behind me, Kiba's right hand tightened in a fist. My chakra controlled his small sputter.

The men sat on the west wall, for strength in driving out evil spirits. They were a mirror of the women, each having his match.

On the south side, for wisdom, divination, and grace, was Father. In front of him lay the tools used in a _sado,_ a small tea ceremony.

Father began. "Ichi."

Mira and I bowed to each other and then, still on our knees, shuffled into the center of the room. We turned sharply to face Father.

"Ni."

With the same studied movements, Mira and I bowed to the ground in front of him. I, being the man, said, "These two beg the head of the Aburame clan that they may be joined in life."

"San."

Father slid his bamboo ladle into the bowl of crushed and powdered tea leaves, moved it stiffly out and over the tea bowl, and poured. The hot water was added. The whisk stirred the thin soup.

"Yon."

The whisk came out and tapped seven times on the rim of the tea bowl, and then the bowl was poured into two smaller, fragile, porcelain bowls and pushed toward Mira and me separately.

"Go."

I lifted my bowl with two hands, rotated it clockwise by one quarter, and sipped. Mira did the same. We set the bowls down, wiped the rims clean, and rotated them back to the front. We exchanged bowls and repeated. And again, three times total. The bowls were returned.

"Roku."

Mira and I bowed. We had not yet touched.

Father stood, towering above us. In his head-of-the-clan voice, he thundered, "Three and three; your body, your chakra, and your spouse. Now all are one. All who witness this know now that you two are interchangeable and unique, and you are joined in life from this day forward."

He said, "Nana."

We knew what to do. My left arm and hand rose to meet her right.

Immediately, I felt the familiar sensation of my kikai rising to the edge of my skin, this time on my palm. Mira's studied face withered slowly, and she frowned.

One kikai broke my skin and burrowed into hers. One of her unused kikai transferred to me. I felt her hand stiffen against mine as her skin was split.

That was once.

Twice. Mira whimpered.

Thrice. A small tear ran down her cheek. She pulled her hand away from mine as though burned when she knew that contact was no longer necessary.

"Hachi."

Because Mira could not, I allowed my kikaichu to come out of my left arm and they swarmed from the bottom of the yukata's sleeve. A thick rope of them wrapped around Mira's wrist and then mine, and then guided them together, mine on top of hers and bound together with the kikaichu.

"Ku," Father declared. Nine; three and three; the wedding was over.

Everyone rose and filed out silently, leaving only Mira and I in the room. The entire thing had taken perhaps thirty minutes, probably less.

Mira stayed staring straight ahead, and then, a long while later, breathed out. "That was…different than I expected, Shino-kun."

I nodded. "Father had told me that it was a very perfunctory ordeal."

My mind suddenly flooded with visions of Father and Mother kneeling in this room twenty-two years before, with my grandfather presiding over their wedding. Then, there was an oddly nauseating moment as I struggled to grasp at the image of Mother, conjured so spontaneously. She had died when was only six, and an unconscious replication was rare.

Frizzy brown hair, flashy star-shaped sunglasses, a bright smile…

Mira stood, distracting me. "That's all? I'm your wife now?"

I stood as well and took a white cotton handkerchief from my obi. As I bent to dip it in the tepid water pot, I said, "Mira-chan, allow me to assist you. Your cosmetics are…dripping."

She lifted her hand to her cheek, where her tear had dried and left a trail of dark mascara and blush. She smiled and said, "So, you're already domesticated? That was fast." She took off her glasses and blinked at me.

Looking into her eyes was an odd experience. Father hadn't ever shown me his and what little I could remember of Mother was scattered… The only reference I had were my own unsettling eyes, seen in mirrors. The shifting black was very different from the other villagers', and I had understood why we wore the sunglasses no matter what. But my kikai were black to begin with.

Mira's kikai were a thin, washed-out tan. She was from a distant branch, after all.

I could see her kikai crawling over and under each other in the window of her iris. It was very, very odd. I understood why Kiba had only been able to stare at first.

I wiped the damp handkerchief under her eye carefully as she gazed up at me. As the messy paint disappeared, she said, "I love you, Shino. You know that, right?"

I said, "I know." I tilted her face up further and kissed her, very simply, and then stepped back. "We should go. Baru-san has had help in preparing a feast for the guests."

She nodded her understanding and replaced her glasses. "I should fix my makeup first. See you there," she winked, "my husband."

I watched her go, and only then noticed the drain on my chakra. It took me a long moment before I remembered that Kiba was wearing my birthday gift to him. If it had used this much of my own chakra to contain him, how turbulent could his emotions be?

* * *

I was already sitting at the long, packed table when Mira came into the receiving room. The usual, smaller table had been moved temporarily into my room – my _old_ room. I was thereafter going to sleep in Mira's room. 

When she, my wife, moved in her very poised, very graceful way, all of the guests applauded her. She took her seat to my left, at the right of Father, who was at the head of the table.

Kiba, to my right, winced as my chakra tightened over his. He growled under the applause to Lee on his other side, "I'm indescribably glad that Hana-nee-chan's medicine has worn off by now."

The applause died as he said his sister's name, and Neji, on the far side of Lee, said, "Kiba, stop talking about your sister and find a real girl."

Itari, across from him beamed and lifted Jata's thin arm. "Jata-chan's real!"

Kiba chuckled. "Yeah, real _scary_."

Soro said, "Don't say that, you know?"

Very slowly, Jata took out a senbon and set the tip on the wood. As she put pressure on it, it dug further and further into the table until it stuck straight up.

Soro finished, "I'm not into dead guys."

Mira choked on her rice.

Kiba blurted out, "I'm sorry, Jata-san, you're extremely pretty and interesting, and I'm definitely not man enough for you."

Jata lifted her chin dismissively and looked at her captain. Itari translated, "Go back to your sister, hot stuff."

Baru came in the room, smiling in her kind way. "Alright, who hurt my table?" No one dared look at Jata. She still zeroed in on the pretty blond girl (who had a senbon sticking out of the table in front of her), and she marched over. Baru said, "It was you, wasn't it, little lady?"

Jata stood very calculatingly and they stared at each other; Baru, with her white-and-blond-streaked hair caught up in a bun on her head, and the ANBU operative Jata who could kill anything at anytime she felt the urge to do so.

Baru opened her arms. Jata flew into them. There was a collective gasp.

Itari smiled. "Jata-chan's mom, I didn't know you were going to be here!"

Kiba's mouth dropped open. I said, "Jata-san always reminded me of Baru-san."

Father, who had known Baru for a very long time, said, "Both of them know how to stare."

Jata was set back down. Baru clapped her hands at the guests. "Now, save what food you folks want. This table's damaged, and I'll take responsibility for it, Shibi," she added for Father. "It was my kid that did it, as you all know."

Father said, "Acknowledged, Baru."

He and I stood up, and Baru walked around the other side of the table. She knelt and took a firm grip on the edge, and Jata did the same on her side. When the table rose an inch, everyone shot to their feet and some brought their plates. Father slid the wide screen, which led to the garden, open, and Baru and Jata took the table, food and all, out of the room.

Mira was a small bit speechless at this interruption to her wedding feast. But ninja adapt well; the socializing began.

Kiba stayed next to me, and Hana walked up with her mother. "What was that about a sister–" she began, and then pulled up short with a small sharp noise.

Her face turned scarlet. I noticed casually that both her and her brother's clan markings were lost when they blushed.

Tsume grinned, showing her fangs, and pulled Hana with her as she walked away.

Kiba tilted his head, confused, and then his eyes widened and he raised his arm to smell himself. He grabbed my arm and smelled it, too, and then hissed, "Shino, you know how I figured it out about Neji and Lee?"

That was bad.

I didn't know what to say to him. While I was standing there in silence, Itari's smiling face appeared next to my shoulder and then she pulled me away into a corner.

"So, Shino, you get to de-innocent-ize Mira-chan tonight!" she squealed happily.

I took one step back and discovered that Jata was standing behind me. "Yes, Itari-chan. It may be termed that way."

Itari leaned in close, and paused a moment before beckoning with her hand. Jata cooperatively leaned in, too. Itari whispered, "You want some tips? Like, I know that every kid gets The Talk, but do you want The Helpful Talk?"

I hesitated and said, "Any information is valuable."

She winked. "Good lad. Now, remember, Mira-chan is a virgin, and she won't know exactly what to do. She might be scared even, though the virgins I've slept with have all been ninjas and ninjas don't scare easily."

Jata raised her hand. Itari passed over this with, "I'll tell you about it some other time.

"Anyway, remember to let her relax, and you better go slow, okay? Do everything yourself, because you're a smart one and you'll have gotten The Helpful Talk already. Your penis may be big or small, and I don't _need_ to know about it," she stopped, eyebrows raised, and then ascertained that I was not going to say anything and went on, "but where you need to put it isn't big enough right away. Do something about it; use your fingers if you want, or your mouth, it doesn't matter, but don't just get to business straight off."

I mentally filed Itari under the title 'Social Anomaly' along with Lee.

Kiba had also needed preparation. But, since there had been no mention of the lubrication that Kiba had used, I assumed that it was not required.

Itari continued, "Once you can get two fingers inside – you know where I'm talking about? – then you can get to work. But still go slow and let her adjust."

Also similar to Kiba.

Itari pressed forward. "And, pay attention because this is important, once _she's_ enjoying herself, you can start to do the same, okay? Don't finish without her, either. Make sure she has an – you _do_ know what an orgasm is, right?"

I nodded. Jata tugged on Itari's sleeve. Itari added, "And you do that by lots of stimulation to the lady bits of her. Explore and enjoy."

I asked, "And did you give Sasuke The Helpful Talk?"

She blinked in surprise. "He didn't strike me as a virgin." And Sasuke had never had sex with a woman in town, or else the fact would be up in lights. A whiskered face surrounded by blond hair appeared in my mind's eye.

I said, "And is tongue-battling permitted?"

Itari looked at me oddly. "You're a weird kid, has anyone ever told you?"

I said, "Compared to whom?"

"Never mind." She blinked merrily and jumped back to a previous subject, "So, anyway, about Jata. For whatever reason, when we met, no one had ever really gotten close to her in all her many years."

Jata flashed all of her fingers and then one full hand again as an indication of her age at the time.

Itari didn't slow down. "And then we were out on a mission for about a week, so the three of us – Sasuke hadn't been assigned yet – were getting _really_ bored. Soro was all like, 'Hey, Jata's cute enough, right? Let's fool around a little,' and I said, 'Fine, whatever, but you have to ask Jata first,' and he tried but you know how she doesn't really open up to anyone. So I asked her instead and she did this really cute shrug thing but then turned around and tried to kill Soro in a very personal area. So I ended up doing the honors and we've been bestest friends ever since."

"How old are you now?" I asked Jata. She held up three additional fingers.

Jata tugged on Itari's sleeve again. Itari said, "And she says I have a habit of going into too much detail."

I said, "It doesn't bother me, since I am learning." I considered it a moment and said, "You have much in common with Kiba."

She primped and fixed her hair. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Jata located my hand inside my yukata's sleeve and slipped her smaller one into it. Therefore, I assumed that we had become friends.

* * *

Nighttime came. 

I entered the room that Mira had inhabited since her arrival. It was deliberately larger than the one I had used growing up, with a large bed in the center and two sets of drawers. This was where we would be sleeping from now on.

And having sex. It was easier to think the word, now that I had experienced the thing itself.

Mira came in from a side door, where she had a connecting bathroom. She had changed into a translucent blue dress that stopped much too soon, and under that I could make out a blue brassiere and underwear. Her hair was down, and she had removed her makeup again. She stood with her shoulders bowed slightly, as though fighting the urge to hide.

She said, "I love you, Shino."

I crossed the room and kissed her.

Thinking of what Itari had said, I untied my obi myself and dropped it to the floor.

Things progressed. It was a very different experience.

* * *

...Yeah... 

So I chickened out. I'm sorry. It's not very necessary to the story, right? Just remember that his and Mira's first night is very structured and on cue, and... the night before... was very spontaneous. Yes.


	16. Nothing

Two months after my wedding, I woke up in the wide bed and saw that Mira was awake. It was unusual; I woke up at dawn each day, and she was almost always still asleep then.

She slept with her dark glasses on all the time, for whatever reason. Though I had previously set them aside when sleeping in my own home, I now followed her lead and also wore them to bed.

I knew she was awake because I could see her eyes when her face was in profile. She was lying there, staring at the ceiling, clearly lost in thought. Her arm lifted from the blankets to a vertical line, and she appeared to sight along it up to her hand. The thin, pale, smooth fingers rose and fell in succession, and she whispered numbers to herself.

I said, "Good morning, Mira."

She started and sat up in surprise, pulling the white linen sheets up with her to cover her nakedness. "Shino! I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"I always get up at dawn," I said, sitting up as well.

She looked out the window at the streaks of light spilling up from the horizon. "I hadn't realized. I couldn't get to sleep."

"What were you counting?"

She blinked, and then remembered what I was talking about. "Oh, I was counting days." At my silence, she explained, "There's a certain time of month for girls, and I'm trying to keep track."

I stared at her. "What time is that?"

She giggled. "You have such odd gaps of knowledge. Well, do you remember, last month and the month before, how we didn't make love for about a week, but then everything went back to normal?" She always insisted on avoiding the word 'sex'.

I said, "Yes, I remember." An old memory flared to life, and I nodded my understanding. "You are talking about a menstruation cycle."

When we were fourteen, during a mission, Kiba had said something teasing to Hinata and Hinata, who should have recognized such behavior as the regular jokes, immediately burst into tears. Kiba had been trying to apologize when Kurenai dragged her off for a talk. When they returned, Hinata had apologized to him instead, and Kurenai had explained about menstruation and hormone fluctuations. Kiba hadn't stopped laughing for an hour, until Hinata had finally punched him with all her strength.

Mira said, "That's all part of a woman's body trying to get pregnant. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes."

She took a deep breath and worked up the courage to say the next sentence. "For about a week before the actual period starts, the woman is ready to conceive. And I'm trying to...um, to do that."

I looked at her nervous expression for a short time, and then said, "That is acceptable."

She smiled in relief and teased, "Why did you think we didn't make love for a week at a time?"

I shrugged. "Perhaps you simply didn't want to."

She put her hands on both sides of my head and turned me to face her for a kiss. She said playfully, "No, I'll always want to. Just give me signal, Shino."

She leaned her upper body back until the sheet slid away, revealing her breasts. I interpreted this as an offer to have sex, and reached my hand out to touch her. She enjoyed stimulation to her breasts in the same way that Kiba enjoyed stimulation to his neck.

And then the screen door slid open with a crash. "Hey, Shino, you won't believe it, Tsunade's finally rescheduled the exams for a week from now and _oh my God I'm so sorry_!" Kiba yelled, all in a few seconds. His first step had been a leap, and he was halfway across the room. When he saw Mira and me, he was already half turned away again.

Mira didn't have his reflexes, and was only just gathering the breath to scream. I pulled the sheets over her and closed her mouth in one movement.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry," Kiba kept mumbling. "I should've knocked, I wasn't thinking, sorry, sorry..."

I stood up from the mattress. "I will be dressed momentarily."

The first article of clothing that I came across, however, was Mira's robe, and I handed it to her. She took it and wrapped it tightly around herself, then scurried across the wooden floor to disappear into the adjoined bathroom.

I was fastening my pants, bare from the hips up, when Kiba whined, "Hurry up!" He turned around - he knew that Mira was gone - and then froze and his already crimson face grew darker. His tongue ran along his bottom lip.

I bent down to retrieve a mesh undershirt from the bureau standing against the wall, and, when I turned back, Kiba was facing away, holding his nose, and complaining about dying of blood loss.

I knocked on the door to the bathroom. "Mira, we will be gone in one minute. Do not come out until you are comfortable doing so."

"I understand," she said bashfully.

I turned to Kiba. "I am ready to go."

He raised his arms in silent thanks, and then lowered them to point to the door with emphasis.

I picked up my jacket on the way out, and was zipping it up as I walked past the kitchen door. I raised my hand, and a sandwich wrapped in waxed paper arrived inside it. I said, "Kiba, try to catch it."

He had his face buried in his hands, and then looked up. "Catch what?"

Another sandwich flew at him, and I reached in front of him to pick it calmly out of the air. He flinched, and then looked at the kitchen. "Hey, old lady, what did I tell you about throwing food at me?"

Baru came to stand in the doorway and smiled coolly. "I assumed that, being a shinobi, you would at least know it was coming, Ki-baka-kun."

He tried to stare her down, and then withered. Timidly, he mumbled, "I'm sure it'll be delicious and thank you for lunch…"

"That's what I thought," she laughed, then wiped flour on his nose. "Where's that dog of yours?"

"Outside, Baru-san," he answered obediently.

She nodded, and turned to me. "You're late to come down today, young master. Should I prepare a big, recuperative breakfast for the lady of the house?"

I said, "What do you mean?"

Kiba's blush returned. "Actually, they hadn't really gotten to that part, yet. So…just the normal kind of breakfast…"

Baru blinked at him, and then understood and grinned. "What did I say when you walked in? 'Knock first', didn't I say that?"

He nodded quickly.

"Run along, now. I hear that your exams are in a week, and you've got lots to do before then."

As we left the house and Akamaru joined us, I looked back and said, "Thank you very much, Baru-san."

She waved and watched us go with a knowing smile.

Out on the street, Kiba growled under his breath and then said, "It honestly hadn't occurred to me that you and she might be in the middle of sex."

"I hadn't touched her yet. Technically, the middle would be-"

"I _know_ what the real middle is!" he interrupted me. "I was saying, like, that you were about to be in the middle of it and, like, not really able to stop on a dime."

I watched him as we walked to Hinata's house. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye every tenth step or so.

Since we had had sex the night before my wedding, our friendship had relaxed into its same shape and feeling. The only differences were Kiba's occasional silences and the fact that we no longer kissed.

But I did not understand why we didn't ever mention what had happened. Perhaps it was one of the oddities of social contact.

I had to think that it would have been better for him to wait until he had fallen in love with someone before having sex for the first time.

* * *

Kiba and I sat at dinner with our friends. Around the circular Hyuuga table sat: Kiba to my left; Naruto; Hinata; Neji; Lee; the younger, 12-year-old daughter, Hanabi; the head of the clan and the girls' father, Hiashi; and, last, sitting to my right, Mira.

Mira said brightly, "Hinata-chan, what is the count, now? Three weeks?"

Hinata blushed and nodded. "The wedding is after the main part of the jounin exams, though. You shouldn't get so excited already."

Her sister Hanabi said blandly, "I don't think that it's very fair of them to declare that people promoted to chuunin this year can't take the jounin exam."

Hinata peeped, "Hanabi-chan, you weren't promoted until after the first part…"

"They wouldn't let me test for chuunin until I had been a genin for a full year. That is also not fair."

Lee said, "Hanabi-chan, your Aspirations and Strength of Mind, Body, and Spirit are Inspiring me to train even harder!"

Neji said, "Lee, don't hit on my cousin."

Naruto swallowed his food and raised his hand. "Neji-sensei, can _I_ hit on your cousin, then? Please?"

"If you want to die an imaginative death, by all means, Naruto," Neji threatened.

Naruto gulped and brought his other arm up in defense. "Sh-she's safe from me! Don't worry, it's not like I haven't got-" and then he stopped. And blinked. And ducked his head to inhale half of his soup.

"I just can't believe that it took Tsunade five friggin' months just to set up a new time," Kiba griped immediately, apparently ignoring him. "And on such short notice! What the hell is wrong with her?"

I said, "The jounin examinations are not a high priority. She was preoccupied."

"With what, gambling?" he snorted.

Neji rolled his pale eyes. "With the political problems, idiot. One would hope that a soldier in active service of the country would be paying attention at least some of the time."

Kiba stuck his tongue out. "If we were going to war or anything, Shino would've told me!"

I said, "I had thought that it was obvious."

My chakra tightened over his, and Kiba's hand flew up to his right upper arm in surprise. He grumbled, "I guess I just trusted you to tell me. Sorry, I won't do it again."

I looked at him for a very long time. Mira leaned forward over the table to get into my range of vision. "Shino, honey, is it true that Konoha is going to go to war?"

I saw Kiba's jaw tighten as I turned to her, instead.

Hiashi said, "Yes, I'm afraid so. The talks with Kusa no Kuni were going well for a time, but broke down a month ago. At this point we are fortifying defenses, having observed no move on Kusa's part to militarize."

Mira said timidly, "So everyone here will be fighting soon?"

I said, "This is no different from the norm. We will survive as we have been trained."

"Because we'll survive everything, right, Shino?" Kiba growled to me. "Because you promised. Whatever that's worth." His voice was too low for anyone but me and perhaps Naruto on his other side to hear.

Mira had her hands in her lap and twisted them together. "I can only hope that everyone will be alright."

"I hope so, too, Mira-chan," Hinata agreed. Neji wrapped her hand in his, and her visible upper body leaned closer to Naruto.

Hiashi said, "Still, that is for later. Please, Mira-san, we try to keep our work separate from home in this family."

"I understand," Mira murmured. "I'm sorry."

The fact remained that Konoha had declared war. And that Kiba was inexplicably angry with me.

* * *

It was late evening after intensive training, three days before the mysterious main part of the exams. Kiba and I were walking back to the Inuzuka land when we saw a slight, blonde girl facing away from us on the sidewalk ahead. There were Itari, Soro, and Sasuke beside her, as well.

Kiba raised his voice. "Hey, guys, how're you doing?"

Sasuke spoke first. "Again, I have no part of what is going to happen."

Soro ignored him. "We're committing felonies, want to play?"

"What do you mean?" Kiba asked as Jata turned around. Then, he was speechless.

She was holding what appeared to be a six- to nine-month-old girl with shockingly red hair. Jata's hand hovered motionlessly a few inches from the girl's face, and the girl was entertaining herself by trying to catch hold of the pale, stiff fingers. Though the little baby was beaming, Jata had her same blank, patient expression.

Kiba yelled, "Where did you get that thing?"

Itari smiled and started a string of syllables in 'baby talk'. Then, she said the adult version: "We like to call her Jata Mark Two."

Soro said mildly, "Her name is Chiro."

"And we stole her!" Itari cheered joyously. "With our awesome super-cool ninja skills!"

Kiba gaped at her. "That's horrible! What were you thinking?"

Itari looked at him for a moment, confused. "I was thinking that she was adorable. I told Jata to bring her with us, and then we came here and decided to name her Jata Mark Two."

"Chiro, you know?" Soro said again.

Kiba took several shallow breaths, and then closed his eyes and insisted, "You have to give her back!"

Itari arranged herself in a pose of composed serenity, and chided, "Calm yourself, young one." She dropped the affectation and shrugged. "Jata-chan likes her, so we're keeping her. I'm going to be a daddy, once all the adoption papers are signed!"

"Shino, help me!" Kiba whined helplessly.

I said, "In all truth, Chiro-chan more closely resembles Soro. They both have red hair."

Itari said, "Then So-chan is the daddy and Jata-chan is the mommy."

Jata looked at Soro, and slowly pulled her leg back to kick him.

He backed away. "I want a divorce! I want a divorce, you know? Captain!"

Itari held her hand up in the middle of them, like a referee. "The divorce is final! Jata-chan is awarded custody of Jata the Second, but only if she doesn't kill So-chan!"

Jata put her foot back down. Chiro had wrapped her fingers around Jata's and was sucking them.

Soro said, "Dibs on the fine china. I mean, if you get the baby, it's only fair, you know?"

Itari leaned against the building, next to Sasuke. She said to us, "Ah, the joys of parenthood, yes?"

Kiba had his hand over his mouth. He was torn between laughing and outrage. Quietly and forcefully, he repeated, "Chiro belongs to her real parents, Itari-chan. You guys_ really, really_ need to give her back."

Itari ignored him, and then turned to Sasuke and, after a moment, announced, "So I was talking it over with Jata-chan, and we've decided that, if it's a girl, we'll name her Jata the Third, and, if it's a boy, then we'll name him…" she raised her voice, leading a rise in anticipation, and wiggled her fingers, "Itari the Second! Does that sound like a good plan, Sasuke?"

Sasuke was half asleep. "Why would you name a boy after a woman?"

There was a long, quiet moment. Jata was unfazed, but Soro's mouth was hanging open. Kiba had frozen in place. Everyone was still, watching Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes opened, and all the color drained out of his face. In an unsteady voice, he asked, "What are you going to name?"

Itari winked. "Not a what, a who. Silly man."

Sasuke's left hand was shaking, until he clenched it in a fist and tucked it under his other arms, crossing them across his chest. "Captain, are-" His voice broke, and he swallowed, and tried again. "Itari, are you saying that you're pregnant?"

She just smiled.

"And you figured that this was the best way to tell him?" Soro asked in a subdued voice.

Itari laced her fingers together and settled them over her lower abdomen. There wasn't any visible sign that she was with child. She said flippantly, "I talked it over with Jata, and she says that it's not hers, so I figure it's yours and mine. Unless you've given me some other chick's kid."

He swallowed thickly, and slid down the wall until his elbows rested on his knees and his wrists crossed over his head in a gesture that made it suddenly clear that he was only seventeen, like us. He said dumbly, "That's pretty short notice for wedding."

Itari's air of indifference melted and she seemed dangerously close to squealing. She waved a quick, negating hand signal to Jata.

Jata's free hand – the one not holding the gurgling little girl – became considerably freer as the kunai she had obtained from somewhere disappeared into her sleeve.

Itari sat down next to Sasuke – father of her potential child – and she whispered, "You don't have to marry me, Sasuke."

He looked up at her, brows together, face tight, as though he was going to cry.

All of us stood in stunned silence. For Sasuke's indefatigable mask of superior aloofness to be so vacant was almost terrifying. He was, of all things, _emoting_.

He whimpered something so quietly that none of us could make it out, but Itari smiled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him down until his face was hidden – against her breasts, but it was such a motherly, understanding action that Sasuke probably didn't even notice.

Itari began talking, very quietly, in a steady stream. She apologized for springing this on him so suddenly; yes, it was a cruel thing to do. She shouldn't have forced him into such a humiliating situation, sorry, so sorry. But she really was pregnant, and she really did love him – no, don't get up, just listen for a little while, alright? – and she really didn't want him to marry her just because of that.

She was still talking, but Soro scuffed his shoes on the ground and jerked his chin at them. Jata nodded, and both of them moved forward to pick Sasuke up, one hand under each arm. Sasuke was asleep. When Itari looked up, it was obvious from her red-rimmed eyes that she had been crying for a least a little while of the very long time we had all been standing here in the deserted streets.

I didn't understand why, but I allowed a single kikai to claw its way out over my hand. It hurried to Itari and settled in her hair. It knew its mission.

Soro tried to grin, but it was only a pale imitation. "Don't tell anyone we stole a baby, you know? She's my niece. My older sister, Chirohi, was on this team for a little while until she died about four months ago, and we missed her, so we went and got her daughter. We'll put her back where we found her, honest."

And then all four were gone in a flicker technique.

After another very long while of silence, Kiba said, "That was…odd."

"They will be married within six months," I predicted.

"But Itari said that he didn't have to."

"He is in love with her. The pregnancy does not have to do with it. They will be married." I paused. "…Mira is attempting to conceive."

He made a sound as if he had been punched in the gut, but he voice was carefully level. "That's nice."

"Kiba, why did we stop kissing after we had sex?" I asked without thinking.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his spin to face me, eyes wide. His hand reached up and pulled on my glasses, and, when they were almost free of my ears, he choked, hesitated, and pushed them back in place.

Then, I noticed that he was weeping, and possibly had been for a long while.

He set his forehead against my collarbone, and his hands were on my sleeves, and he leaned most of his weight on me. He wasn't sobbing, but I could see him straining to keep his breathing regular and silent. He whispered, "Shino, Shino, Shino… Stupid. You're so stupid. We're both stupid. Everything's gone to hell."

I said, "When are you going to tell me what has been wrong for so long?"

"I'm not," he sighed, rubbing his face against my jacket. "I'm never going to tell you." But he didn't let go.

* * *

When I finally climbed into bed very late at night, Mira was fast asleep.

My kikai came back from Itari and settled down in my ear. The carefully recorded sounds of Itari's words for Sasuke were played back.

Itari had acted exactly as I could only assume a mother would. Maybe it was because she would be one soon. I wondered what it would be like for Mira, when she became a mother.

What would parenthood be like for me?

I was surprised to discover that I could not clearly define the behavior of a father.

So I slowly fell asleep, thinking of Kiba's tears and hearing Itari's soft murmurings of love and acceptance.

* * *

Yes...not many good things in this chapter. I kind of don't like it. Except the bit with Jata in it, of course. Wacky bunch, these people. 


	17. And

You all remember Gyo, yes? From chapters 6 and 7. He's a bastard, and Kiba hates him with a passion. Yes?

* * *

It was the day of the main jounin examinations. 

Mira sat opposite me in the receiving room, slowly eating her breakfast. Her back was relaxed, shoulders slightly curved in, and she continually frowned. She made a small noise and shifted, sitting ramrod straight, and then swallowed, moving her lower back to find a more comfortable position.

"Mira, are you in pain?" I asked finally. I had already finished my meal, but Kiba would not be here for half and hour, and Mira was unable to sit still.

She put her hand on her abdomen, pressing in gingerly. "It's just a few cramps, Shino. They usually only last a few hours at a time. Don't worry about me."

I said, very seriously, "Ninjas learn not to ignore pains of the body. Are there any other symptoms?"

She looked at me funny, and then smiled and laughed. "You think that this is a sickness! No, no, cramps are common during my period. I told you not to worry. It just means that," her voice became soft, and her smile stayed put, "I'm not pregnant this month. Maybe next time."

I reminded her, "We will be married for the rest of our lives."

"This is my choice," she said, somewhat defiantly. "I want a little baby to take care of. And I want it to look like you."

I nodded my understanding. "If the baby is a daughter, she will be safe from men. I am told that I am extremely repellant."

She laughed again, louder, behind her hand, but some of it was forced. "If I have a girl, may she be blessed with beauty!"

"That will mean looking similar to her mother," I said.

She blushed at me from across the small table, and then said her thanks and winced at her cramping muscles.

I amused myself for a moment by trying to think of what those muscles were. The entire process of producing offspring was extremely illogical. First, the sex happened, and then the woman took the man's ejaculate and a part of herself and there was a baby. Of course, there was also the gestation period, which was already begun inside of Itari.

Was it a matter of quantity or quality? As I understood it, Itari and Sasuke had had sex many, many times.

I asked Mira, and she laughed more before trying to explain.

* * *

Kiba and Akamaru came for me at the scheduled time, and we left Mira at the Aburame complex. Tsunade had announced to the entire village that the main part of the exams was, as with every year, open only to those participating and the proctors. 

Kiba slouched along beside me, nibbling on a stalk of celery covered in a visually offensive orange powder.

I couldn't stop myself. "Kiba, what are you eating?"

He took another small bite and made a face. "It's a medicine that Hana-nee-chan gave me."

I didn't comment on his sister, whom I personally respected as a kunoichi. Instead, I asked, "Why is it on celery?"

He looked up, as though reading off of his brain itself, and recited, "It's just as good for you as it always has been, so quit yapping and eat it."

"The Inuzuka family motto," I said, recognizing it.

He shrugged. "We never go hungry, and that's all there is to say."

I said, "May I taste it?"

He grinned and handed it to me. "I've got to warn you, though, those small bites are all I can stand at one time," he said as I bit down on half an inch. I carefully handed it back.

My mouth caught fire, stabbing needles of pain through my tongue and teeth and gums. I glared at him.

He raised his eyebrows and sniggered at my expression. "Oh my god, Shino, I'm sorry. You're usually more cautious about what you eat. That's stuff to clear your nose and sinuses, kinda like cleaning your...um..." he trailed off, looking for the word.

"Pawette," I said helpfully, discovering that open air helped to ease the throbbing of my taste buds. The rest of my mouth was fading to a numb, cold sensation, and I left my tongue out.

He giggled, now. "Yeah, Shino, your palette. I honestly think that it's just extra spicy curry powder, and the celery's there to temper it."

"Nah ver weh ahl," I sounded out, not eager to put my tongue back inside my mouth to cook.

"No, Shino, not very well," he said, as sympathetically as he could in between growing fits of laughter.

Everyone was laughing at me today, which was unusual, considering the gravity of the outcome of the exams. I tucked my chin deep inside my high collar temperamentally.

Perhaps they were laughing _because_ of the gravity.

Kiba was walking at the same pace as me and digging through his pockets. "I've got the fabled antidote around here somewhere. After you're sure that all the smells outside of the battle are exterminated, you put a drop of _this_ on the back of your tongue and it all goes away." He held a thin vial aloft, and I took it.

I had learned caution, and carefully let a single drop fall on my tongue. Instantly, my mouth was whole again and I was living in a world of smells. I said, "That might actually be real medicine."

He nodded happily. "My Hana-nee-chan's great. She took an old family recipe and perfected it."

I touched my nose with my hand, making sure that it had not grown wings. "Do you smell things like this all the time?"

He said, "Oh, much better. That stuff only magnifies your nose by ten. Our is at worst, like, a hundred, and then during a battle it goes to-"

"Approximately ten thousand," I answered for him. "I know, Kiba. We have been best friends for a very long time."

He stood straighter, puffing his chest out. "Yeah, you just wouldn't leave alone. Don't worry, you're the perfect sidekick." He was slightly ahead of me, and had to twist around to look back at me. "Just kidding, I really do-" he began, and then he pulled a Naruto and froze, carefully removing his facial expression, posture, and tone. "I really am glad that we're friends," he said studiously.

I said, "There is a new smell. Like...that's odd. It's similar to nutmeg."

He looked up, trying to reinsert himself into the conversation out of which he had torn himself in the first place. "What color comes to mind first?"

I was not good at abstract thinking and colors. "Red, dark, similar to blood but not the same."

He blushed and looked down. The smell grew exponentially stronger. "It must be blood, is all. We're, um, near a marketplace. I told you that smells mix there. Maybe someone was cutting up steak or something."

I watched him, walking a few steps ahead of me, and reached out my hand toward his shoulder. I pulled it back before I touched him and closed my eyes behind my glasses.

Whatever he was mad at me about - whatever had caused us to stop kissing - was an unknown. He had said himself that he wouldn't tell me.

There was nothing I could do.

* * *

The remaining men and women in the exam - the three teams who had passed, out of the six who took part in the preliminaries - gathered in the Hokage's office at ten o'clock. Again, we were forced into the center of the room, surrounded by proctors. Now, because I know them, I noticed Jata and Soro to the right of Itari and Sasuke. Itari was whispering something to Sasuke, grinning deviously, and I edged closer to gather information. 

"I did _research_. Chicks are fine for anything not-so-strenuous even until the beginning of the third trimester! Oh, and I heard that..." she lowered her voice in an act of discretion, but made an odd hand gesture; her first two fingers each touch a corner of her mouth, and she stuck out her tongue for a moment. She jumped back into the sentence without missing a beat. "Yeah, I heard that _that_ can help with a pregnant girl's back pain!"

Sasuke had completely disregarded the pose of attention, and was holding his hands over his ears, clearly wishing for another set of hands to hide his burning face, as well.

Kiba walked next to me. "Man, I had to leave Akamaru outside again! If they don't let me fight with him, I'm seriously fucked."

"He is a weapon, and a necessary one. They will allow you to use him," I reassured him.

He shrugged, as though he didn't fully commit to believing me.

He took a step back and managed to step on Ino's foot. She spun around from her conversation with Tenten and growled, "Kiba, I swear to God in heaven that if you just scuffed my new shoes, you will die a virgin!"

My enhanced sense of smell was fading, but the nutmeg scent returned very suddenly. Kiba flushed and said, "Sorry, Ino."

She blinked, completely floored by his response. They had always fought with each other. She stuttered on her reply, but gained momentum. "Just because you guys finished first doesn't mean that you can go around stepping on my shoes!" In fact, Ino fought with just about anyone, and whoever escaped her wrath was written out of the known universe.

I was one of those that was erased. I said, "Ino, those shoes are not new."

All four of us - Tenten had been blown off and then rejoined the group - looked down at Ino's fighting sandals, blue and covered in scrapes.

Ino lifted her leg up to eye-level without a second thought, throwing her knee-length skirt up. Soro, who later claimed to be merely curious, craned past Jata to look. Judging by his disappointment, whatever he wanted had not been the bandages she wore around her thighs and black shorts above those.

Soro swore. "All the kunoichi wear either the creep-the-fucking-bejeezus-out-of-you ANBU gear, sweatpants, or shorts under skirts. Let's bring easy access back, you know?"

Jata elbowed him in the ribs. She had very pointy elbows, and the wind was knocked out of him.

Ino was complaining about forgetting to wear her gorgeous new purple sandals that she had purchased specifically to look the best as she proved herself to be the best. Kiba had recovered and, according to habit, told her that, of course, Shino was going to be the best.

Tsunade stood up from her desk. "Alright everyone. Shut up for a minute."

Silence. The Hokage speaks.

She smiled. She was good at being motherly, for a woman who never married. "You all remember the chuunin exams, and you know how the one versus one fights work. This time, you're all going to be fighting against proctors. Same rules about the killing. If it's unavoidable, so be it, but you have to try. And, if you do something that's going to kill the other, they're free to kill you back."

Kiba said, "That's festive."

"Something to add, Inuzuka?" Tsunade snapped.

Kiba straighten up on reflex. "Hokage, ma'am, lady! I was just wondering, can I have Akamaru? Please? I'll love you forever and ever."

Tsunade grinned, and snapped her fingers. Shizuna whispered her, and Tsunade said, "If you get to carry your pig around, he gets a two-hundred-pound, furry beast of death."

"What she said," Kiba intoned, with a silly, relieved smile.

Shizune sighed and said, "He'll be in the arena."

Tsunade finished with, "Hooray, if you win the match, you're a jounin. Let's go."

She led us to a side door from the office, and from there down a set of stairs that I had never even known existed.

We went down and down and down, and, finally, the stairs leveled out and opened out to reveal an underground arena. Akamaru was in the stands, wagging his tail ecstatically.

Tsunade turned to the group. "Righteo. We don't really like letting other villages see the sorts of justus of our new jounins. No one will ever know of this arena place thing. Yes?"

"Yes, Hokage!" we all agreed.

She smiled. "Cool. The first match-up is a fun one." She blinked, confused. "From all accounts, 'she is more powerful than a family name'."

Itari giggled. "Yeah, that was totally me."

Tsunade finished, "So, just Jata."

Kiba nudged me and whispered, "Poor bastard who has to fight her should just quit right now."

"And she's fighting Aburame Shino."

"Oh, _fuck_," Kiba groaned, very loudly.

Ino stomped on his foot.

I said, "This will be an education."

"There's the spirit. Get in the snake pit... I mean, the arena."

I was mostly numb, and my heart rate was beginning to accelerate. I climbed down even more stairs, followed closely by Jata. Itari shouted after me, "You take care of her, now! I expect her home by midnight, in relatively good shape!"

We moved into the open, and Tsunade said, "Begin!"

Jata stood opposite from me, several yards away, with a pose of extreme relaxation. I had automatically dropped into a guard, but straightened as long seconds passed and she didn't move. Even when Tsunade called the start of the match for the second time, Jata didn't blink.

She was giving the first attack to me. It was a risk, because then she would have the advantage in blocking and changing immediately to an offensive move; I would need good reflexes. However, it was obvious that she wasn't going to change her mind, and was content to wait me out.

I threw a senbon needle at her, long-range. I was not going to be stupid.

She stepped out of the way and brought her hands together. They flashed through too many signs to catch, but the effects of her attack were immediate. The arena disappeared, and suddenly I was inside a room and Jata stood before me.

This was a genjutsu. She was convincing my mind that I was in this room. If I was incapacitated, if Jata kept me in this place long enough for it to be my reality, I would be disqualified as having lost. To fail was unacceptable.

Jata was still, and then I heard a voice. It wasn't Jata herself, because her lips remained sealed, and it was so far removed from this battle that it took me a few seconds to recognize it as Itari's.

Itari said, "We are alone, Shino-kun," and echoed back and again.

I shook my head to get her out, and said nothing. I couldn't play along for even a moment, because this was not a real place. Kikai began to exit through my ankles, consuming the chakra of the genjutsu slowly and steadily. The pain grounded me.

Jata's jounin uniform melted away, leaving her in flattering lingerie. She approached me, until there wasn't enough room for both of us and she pressed me backward onto something soft. "We are alone," Itari repeated. "And I've always thought that you're sexy, Shino-kun. Why not enjoy our solitude while we can?" It was a mattress. She made me lie back fully and crawled to straddle my hips.

I had to focus on proof that it was not real. Itari's voice, _that_ was not real. The woman certainly wasn't here. And it was clearly an imitation, because it lacked the sparkle of excitement and energy and life that was present in the woman herself

It was not real.

I made a fist and hit Jata on the cheek, splitting her lip where she had been attempting to smile. She peered down at me as though studying something, and then Itari said, "We had forgotten. You are a married man."

Jata became blurry, and then her fingers became longer, and her face more angular. Violet eyes bled to black, and blond hair seemed to drip down to become long, black, and straight. Mira smiled prettily at me, next to naked, and her lips didn't moved as her voice said, "I love you, Shino. Let's explore each other..."

Her voice trailed off as she teasingly brushed her hand against my cheek, and my lips, and then reached down to find out that I wasn't fooled. I punched at her again, and she reared back, sitting on her knees over me. Itari's voice said, "We had forgotten what sort of tastes you have."

Jata's body changed, the breasts giving way to a muscled chest. The black hair turned to short, tangled, and brown. Hazel eyes blinked at me, and the red clan markings stretched in a wide grin. Kiba leaned down over me, and whispered, "Shino, I guess I'm on top...sounds like fun."

He was wrapping his arms around me, and we were kissing, and it was Kiba's tongue and smell and tiny growls and it was such a relief to have this again...

Then my glasses bumped against his nose and my eyes flew open.

This wasn't Kiba.

I was trapped inside Jata's genjutsu and she had won, for too long a time. My kikai were still wearing away at her chakra, and she hadn't given any signs of noticing it.

I kept kissing her - Jata, not Kiba, not the real one - and ease a kunai from my thigh holster. Then, at the same time, I forced my own chakra against the genjutsu and shoved the kunai into her stomach, below the eighth rib.

She was completely shocked, and the genjutsu was gone. She was on top of me until I stood up and she came, too, gaining her feet unsteadily and absently touching the kunai jutting out of her with one hand. Jata was sucking in air, probably not ideal when a weapon could damage internal organs with each expansion.

There was utter silence in the underground arena, and I remembered the audience, the other hopefuls each waiting for his turn. I looked at them; so many shocked faces, but then there was a grim Sasuke, and a disbelieving Soro, and an openly horrified Itari, and Kiba, unreadable but definitely not good.

Jata breathed out, and the world was only the two of us and the small space we shared. Her expression changed from sorrow to discomfort, but there was a glimmer of a challenge in her eyes still. She began to lose her balance, and took fistfuls of my jacket so that I came with her.

At first, as we fell very, very slowly, all I could try to imagine was her reason. It was a hugely bad move for her; if I fell on top of her, I would certainly drive that kunai in far enough to kill her.

My hand came up and rested on her waist, and then migrated blindly to the kunai and the cooling blood making her jounin uniform sticky. I could not look away from her now confident, determined face. Emotions like those did not make people act as Jata had. She nodded, encouraging me, and I didn't think about anything until after I had pulled the weapon free.

Everything sped up, she landed and I landed and we ground to a halt. I was on my knees, more of a position of power, and I had the advantage over her. She was much smaller than I was, and I knelt between her legs with my hands above her shoulders.

She drew her legs up and rested her feet on my hips, suddenly pushing with all her weight and advantage. My knees left the hard-packed earth and I was off-balance for a moment. I threw myself forward, bearing down on her. She accepted it, but rallied and pushed with her left foot, spinning me to my back on her right side. Her hand automatically shot toward my neck with an iron senbon needle, and I couldn't think of when she had obtained it.

My forearm knocked the attack away and we both scrambled to our feet. Jata was breathing hard, not able to stand straight but unwilling to concede to her injury and try to stop the blood from staining her jacket and vest.

I saw her scan the crowd as I had, and her eyes caught on Itari with a flicker of anticipation. But her captain wasn't cheering for her, she was crushing Sasuke's hand in hers and crying, wiping her eyes often to keep watching.

Jata's eyebrows drew together and up, and I stepped forward to hit her just where her wound was, immediately covering my hand with blood. Her violet eyes dulled, she blinked, and then I was supporting her and Tsunade was calling an end to the fight.

"Alright. Get her to the medics. Aburame Shino is a jounin."

Itari flickered to stand right in front of me and wrapped me in a hug. "Congratulations and I don't hate you." She was still crying.

Then, Sasuke and Soro picked Jata up and disappeared, and Itari was gone.

On weak legs, I climbed back up the stairs in silence. The others were looking at me, because I had been the first one to pass. Tsunade announced the fight of a participant whose name I didn't recognize.

Up in the stands, I found Kiba slouched against a low wall, out of sight of the others. He was pale, and frowning, and didn't look up when I sat next to him. "Kiba," I began. What could I say? I finished lamely, "I passed."

He didn't say anything for a few seconds, and then, still not looking at me, he said, "So we all figured out that you were in a genjutsu sort of thing, especially when Itari explained loudly. And then you sent out your little wonderbugs, and they started to cover Jata up from head to toe."

I said, "They were absorbing her chakra."

"Right. Yeah, of course." He breathed in, and breathed out, and continued. "So then she pushes you down, and you let her, and we were worried. But you punched her – in the face! – and you were fighting back. She was trying to seduce you…she touched you, for God's sake, and she didn't even change her expression!"

"At that point, she was trying to convince me that she was Mira."

"Okay. Okay." His voice was shaking, and he swallowed. "But then you tried to attack her again."

"She was not Mira."

"And then she sat up, and you look completely shocked, and then she was kissing you and you were kissing her back…"

I leaned my head back against the wall. "She convinced me that she was you. I believed it for a very long time."

He gaped at me, and recovered with, "It was only like ten seconds! Then you stabbed her!"

I said, "The real Kiba would have taken off my glasses."

He stared at me, still pale, and then just shook his head and didn't say anything. On a different subject, he grumbled, "I'm all worked up, and I haven't even had my fight yet! I'm screwed!"

"You worried for me. When _you_ fight, _I_ will worry. That way, you can focus on winning."

"Stop it! Right now!" he shouted, standing up. My knees were still rubbery, and I didn't trust myself to try and follow him. He growled, lower, "You always do that. Stop."

I stared up at him, surprised at how much of my chakra was being used to contain his. "What do I always do?"

"You always…say something, or do something, and then it's all your fault!"

I was talking to a child, coaxing out information. "What is my fault?"

"The things I do!" he yelled, stomping his foot on the ground. "I won't be held responsible for shit that _you_ make me do!"

At least I was making progress. Good.

The fight in the arena must have ended, because Tsunade called a stop. She didn't announce the man as a jounin.

She _did_ say: "Next Koburon Gyo against Inuzuka Kiba. Bring it on!"

Kiba's face was blank for a second, and then rage flushed his cheeks and he smirked malevolently. "Oh, fuck yes. Bring it on. I need something for pent up assbeatings."

Akamaru howled over the arena, and Kiba was grinning like a madman, and Koburon Gyo was going to be killed.

This was bad. Very, very bad.

* * *

I ended with a cliffhanger! I'm sorry. I'm still figuring out Gyo's speciality (does he even have one? Annoying bastard...) 

I'm in love with Jata. I'm sorry for having Shino kunai you, Jata.

Shino's an idiot.


	18. It

This feels like it took a very long time. Which was actually...five days? Wow. I just feel tired, since the person who encouraged me to write this in the first place has been off the radar for eight days. (You know that you're addicted to the internet when someone being absent for a week annoys you so much). And she promised to at least review sixteen, but _no_. Now she's three chapters behind you. Therefore, you all rock.

Like, I love you anyway, don't worry. I would offer to have all of your children (cough HK Keiji cough) if I wouldn't be forced to have Jata make you marry me in the process. I just also miss Adi88.

But, enjoy, and read happily.

Oh! before I forget! Werewolf of Fire is awesome in every way, because she looked at my work and made Art. www. deviantart. com/ deviation/ 45827208/ ...only without the spaces.

* * *

It was Kiba's turn to fight. But why did it have to be Koburon Gyo? 

I stared down at my hands for a long moment, and then remembered why the right one was red. Jata's blood. I stood on still-shaky legs and found a napkin and some drops of water to get it off.

When I looked up, Kiba was walking toward the stairs, cracking his knuckles. Akamaru leapt to join him, excited already because of Kiba's murderous aura.

I saw a drop of blood slowly crawl down Kiba's right hand and drop to the ground.

His chakra was flaring, and my chakra was controlling it. He was wearing my present to him, and it must have tightened to the point of drawing blood. Didn't he notice it?

I followed him. When I caught up, he had reached a landing in the staircase where one flight ended and the next began. I said, "Kiba, wait."

He turned around, surprised. His vicious, untamed grin transformed his entire face into something wild. "What? I need to get down there!"

I reached for the zipper of his jacket, and he stepped away, swatting my hands away with his. I tried again, and he backed up into the wall.

"What the hell, Shino? Cut it out!" he snapped.

I took the zipper firmly and drew it down. He flushed. "Damn it, stop!"

I moved the inner part of the right sleeve until I could see the black band stretched tight around his arm. "Do you intend to fight with this?"

"Oh," he said, looking down as well. "I forgot that I had that on."

I said seriously, "If you can't feel it, then it will be of no help to you."

"You know what, Shino? Fine." He bent his head and raised his arm so that he could bite it off, ripping the material. "Screw you. I'll be in the arena, if you don't mind." He pushed me away and went down the stairs three at a time, while Akamaru cleared them in one jump.

I picked up the useless present. It was his choice to destroy it. He clearly hadn't thought very much of it, though I knew that he had worn it every time he planned to encounter Mira, and had recently started to wear it whenever we were together.

Odd, that he would break it so carelessly.

I heard Tsunade's voice boom out over the arena. "The match will begin in a moment. Just a second, okay?"

I made my way back up the stairs, and took a seat near Ino and Tenten. I asked them, "What is the delay?"

Tenten smiled kindly. "I'm going to bet that she wanted you to be here. The Hokage a very nice person, if you get to know her."

Ino nudged Tenten in the ribs. "Tsunade never cared whether I was there or not when Sakura did anything special."

Tenten nudged her right back. "You and Sakura don't count as best friends. You fight all the time!"

"I'll bet that Shino and the idiot fight a lot, too! They don't match at all!" Ino said right back. I had apparently been forgotten.

Tenten said, "I think they match pretty well. Just look at some of the other sets of best friends we have around here: Neji and Lee; Shikamaru and Chouji; Sasuke and Naruto; Tsunade and Jiraiya… They're all completely different!"

Ino smirked, sure that she had won. "But they all fell in love with each other at one point!"

Tenten's face became blank. In a confident, forceful voice, she said, "None of them have ever been couples, Ino. I said 'Shikamaru and Chouji', and you're going out with Shikamaru yourself!"

Ino shrugged. "Give me some credit, okay? I was on a team with both of them for a long time, and, believe me; they were already going out when we were assigned. Then, like, a year later, they broke up because Shika fell in love with me."

Tenten's hand tightened in a fist, bunching the cloth of her loose pants. "If that's the case, then at least _my_ teammates haven't-"

Ino shorted. "Neji and Lee? Are you joking?"

I said, "Is there a question of whether or not Neji loves Hinata?"

This caught her off guard. "Well, not as such, no…"

That would have settled the matter, if Tenten hadn't been seeking revenge by then. She hissed, "You say that Shikamaru loves you, Ino? Where is he right now?"

"He's in Sunagakure, on a negotiations mission," Ino answered, suspicious of where it was going to lead.

"And when he comes back, what's going to be the first thing out of his mouth?" Tenten narrowed her eyes, and spat, "Isn't it going to be, 'Temari says this, Temari says that'?"

Ino opened her mouth in shock, and began to shake. "Don't you _dare_ say anything about that, Tenten! The Kazekage, Gaara, you know that he always has his sister negotiate for him!"

Tenten shrugged, mimicking Ino from only minutes before. "I suppose that Gaara is a part of the whole conspiracy…"

Ino yelled, "I thought we were friends! When you liked Neji for so long, who did you tell? Not Sakura, because who knows what she's saying when she's chatting with patients! You told _me_! And you know what? It _killed_ me not to spread it around town! But I never told a soul!"

Tenten's face was crimson with a combination of rage and humiliation, but she didn't respond. As Ino's words faded away, the silence in the arena became heavy.

Tsunade was sitting in a specially marked chair, several meters from us. She had sent Shizune to get her some popcorn. She sighed, and said, "I guess that sometimes things escalate, don't they, ladies?" In a quieter voice, she added, "And, for the record, I don't love Jiraiya."

Tenten buried her face in her hands. Ino was shocked at her own words. "Tenten, I'm sorry…"

Tsunade announced, "The fight between Inuzuka Kiba and Koburon Gyo will begin…now!"

Only then did I look down at Kiba and Gyo. Kiba was unusually pale, and nearly green at the corners of his eyes. His jacket was zipped up again. Akamaru was pacing back and forth behind him, not understanding why they hadn't already sprung into action.

Gyo was still Gyo, even though I hadn't seen him in months. His blonde hair, cropped close to his head, was pointed in every direction, and he was frowning at Kiba. I couldn't see it from two stories up, but I knew that his eyes were green.

I had never seen Gyo fight. I now knew that Jata's specialty was genjutsu, but I had had absolutely no idea what to expect. And now, Kiba was in the same situation.

Hopefully, he had learned from my fight with Jata. He only had to wait for Gyo to mount an attack that would give Kiba a measure of his abilities.

I saw Kiba's eyes drift up to me. He nodded to himself, took a deep breath, and the sick tinge to is skin faded. After that, Kiba didn't do anything but glare. Good.

Gyo glared back. Finally, he seemed to become tired of the inactivity and said, loud enough for the spectators to hear, "If you're this slow to take action, _chuunin_," he said the word like it was a disgusting thing, "I can't imagine how you got through the preliminaries. They're designed to get rid of useless things."

Kiba shifted. That wasn't good. A restless Kiba was an angry Kiba, and anger meant that Kiba had stopped thinking. He grumbled, "Me and Shino got through alright."

Gyo laughed, high, derisive and grating to the ears. He said, "So you were piggybacking off of that Aburame guy. Nice. You two getting along okay, then?"

It was as much a leading question as Tenten's had been. Kiba ignored it, and said, "Hey, I'm just trying to do the smart thing, here. Now, be a dear and attack me, what do you say?"

Gyo smiled tightly. "You attack me first."

This was the problem with pitched battles. There was always a moment when no one wanted to move first.

Tsunade sighed again. She always wore her hair tied back in two parts, and she was chewing on one of them absently. She declared, "Koburon-kun, just attack the poor child. We have other people to test today."

Gyo scowled, and bit his thumb, making himself bleed. He planned to perform some sort of seal. A scroll-based genjutsu, maybe, or a summons.

When Tenten saw the scroll that he casually unrolled, she hummed, "Oh, gods. That's a weapon summons, the kind I use all the time. Kiba's really bad against that, right?"

I frowned. Gyo would be using long-range, projectile weapons. Kiba's attacks were mostly close-range, but there were some that covered distances. If he wasn't ready to defend himself…

Ino said, "Looks like he's in for a short drop and a sudden stop."

"Shut up, Ino," Tenten said tartly.

Kiba also recognized the scroll. When Gyo wiped his blood across it, Kiba was halfway through the jutsu that made both Akamaru and himself seem half-beast, half-human.

Gyo summoned a stack of overlarge shuriken, five deep. One was dropped at his feet, and the others were still held one over the other. He stepped into a low stance to balance himself, and then began to spin the four-bladed things, using both hands.

Four of them were risky. At most, I could throw two at a time and still maintain accuracy. It would take intense training, every day, for a very long time, to even be able to control three.

Tenten breathed, "This guy is hardcore."

"He is disagreeable," I said immediately.

Gyo threw them. They fanned out, each taking a different course according to the order in which they were thrown and the curve of his arm as he threw them.

Kiba and Akamaru both jumped over the shuriken that was aimed at them.

Yes. Now, all they had to worry about was the final shuriken at still lay at Gyo's feet, since it was still a threat. But, it was too long ago for Kiba to be bothered by it. It did not occur to him to consider it.

Damn. This would be problematic.

Kiba and Akamaru launched their signature attack. The most basic explanation was that the body spun quickly, a defense against attacks, and then, once the person was close enough, he physically attacked the target in any way he could. With both Kiba and Akamaru, the effects could be devastating.

Gyo slid his foot under the shuriken and kicked it up, catching it in midair and bracing himself behind it. He held it vertically and sideways, with the blades facing up. I couldn't figure out why, until one of the spinning bodies attacked him directly.

Either Kiba or Akamaru – they were identical – went straight toward Gyo. Gyo held the shuriken at the edge of the person's trajectory. They didn't stop spinning, but the shuriken began to jerk in Gyo's hands as they passed. It was dragged down, across skin, before ripping itself free and bucking up again.

Ino held her hand across her mouth. "Oh, that looks like it hurts!" In a whisper to Tenten – apparently, they were friends again, united in Kiba's cause – she continued, "It almost looks like an apple peeler."

"That's _not_ funny," Tenten whispered back. They were only a seat behind me.

Ino whispered, more ferociously, "I'm not trying to be _funny_, it's horrible!"

I said, "Please be quiet."

"Sorry, Shino," they said in unison.

The injured one of them stopped the attack and landed in a crouch on the ground, swearing. It wasn't loud enough to be heard clearly, but two sentences were repeated frequently: 'Fuck, that stings,' and 'Should've seen _that_ one coming.'

It had been Kiba. Akamaru couldn't speak, even when he appeared to be half-human. Therefore, Kiba was the one that had been injured. The only visible wound was a cut on his cheek, but the stiffness as he stood up hinted at worse things beneath his jacket.

My shoulder blades drew together as my back tensed.

What if Kiba lost this fight?

Gyo began to laugh again. "I got you _good_, chuunin!"

Kiba looked up, fully prepared to launch another attack, but then pulled back and grinned in uncontained glee.

Gyo had become distracted and forgotten that he was fighting two people.

Akamaru dove into him from behind, clawing and biting viciously wherever he could. When Gyo threw him off, Kiba tackled him, sitting with both knees pressed onto his spine. Akamaru took hold of Gyo's arms and pinned them down. Kiba shouted, "I got you _better_, bastard!"

Gyo struggled, but in vain. It almost looked comical.

Tsunade proclaimed, "Koburon-kun is incapacitated. Inuzuka Kiba is a jounin."

Everyone clapped, and I felt the stress leave me. It felt as though his fight had lasted much, much longer than mine.

Tenten said, "Well, once they got going, that didn't take very long at all, did it?"

Ino sighed. "Too bad. Kiba was actually serious for a few seconds."

They hushed, and then announced mechanically, "So…we'll be going now. Bye, Shino. And congratulations, Kiba."

And then Kiba stood before me, breathing hard, a solid, exaggerated smile stretching his face. "Shino."

I stared up at him. Akamaru was being led away through a separate stairway by Shizune.

His smile relaxed a little bit, and he said, "…I passed."

"I saw," I said.

He kept talking, still out of breath and excited. "And I remembered what you said about focusing on the fight and not worrying about anything. You know, how you said that you would do the worrying for me?"

I nodded. I felt very tired. It had been an active day.

He sounded suspicious, now. "You _did_ worry for me, right? Or do I have to start cramming that in, too?"

I said, "I worried about you. Try to calm down. You have to be low on chakra."

He tilted his head to the side. "Nope, I'm fine. Didn't you see? All I had to do was the gatsuuga and then that prick went down."

I shook my head and said, "We are going to the hospital."

Kiba made a face. "Ew, why?" The thin, small cut across one cheek was already scabbed over, but I knew that his body would have deeper wounds. It had been closer to the blade.

That scene flashed across my mind. I had been certain that one of the spiraling cuts would be across his neck or another artery.

"You are bleeding." I stood and stepped past him, toward the staircase we had come down from the Hokage's office. I thought of the wet napkin that I had thrown into a garbage can, probably now stiff with blood. "And we have to find out how Jata is."

He sighed and followed me. "Only for Jata. I'm not going to take any medicine."

"You will allow them to give you bandages," I said sharply. We climbed the stairs with me leading the way. "You were hit with a shuriken. You should see yourself."

"Oh, come on, that thing barely hit me," he said flippantly.

I turned around to face him and pushed his shoulders until he was against the wall. "You're lying."

"Shino, stop it," he whined, trying to wriggle free. "I'm fine, okay? You're done worrying."

For the second time, I reached to unzip his jacket, and he didn't struggle against me. I opened it, and saw for the first time that he was wearing the mesh undershirt that most shinobi had. He also had a hard, wooden shield covering his chest and abdomen, but his sides were exposed. I could see a thick, constant stream of blood that had been absorbed by the material, pressed tight over the wound itself.

"Kiba," I scolded him.

"Oops, when did that get there?" he chuckled halfheartedly. He pulled his jacket closed again and held his hand over the wound, making the jacket absorb more of his blood. "Look, it'll keep until I can get home. Then, Hana-nee-chan can fix it."

I stared at him. What if he lost too much blood, though? What if a relatively small wound like this became infected? What if Kiba died?

That would be intolerable.

I took off my glasses and kissed him, forcing him back against the wall, and ignoring his surprised sounds.

Kiba pushed at my shoulders until I took a step back. The stairwell was dim, but I could see that he was blushing. He was breathing hard again and choked out, "You bastard." I stepped forward again, and he stuttered, "S-stop it already!"

"You will accept treatment from the hospital," I said clearly, reaching into his jacket, but careful to avoid his wound.

"No, the hospital's creepy!" he demanded childishly.

I leaned out heads together until my hitai-ate clanked against his.

"No!"

As a last resort, I forced his head to tilt back, exposing his long neck. He had always had a sensitive neck. Now, I sucked on the skin. I chose the location arbitrarily, aiming for the jugular vein fluttering underneath.

He sucked in a breath, and then moaned, fingers gripping my shoulders and twisting themselves into the fabric of my jacket. He rasped, "Fine. Fine! Shino, get off!"

I straightened up, and found myself smiling at him. I had won.

He watched me blankly. His eyes drooped half-closed and his body swayed forward, and I supported his weight for a moment. He shook his head, and realized where we were and what he was doing, and straightened up. He began to march up the stairs again, and muttered, "Um…nearly fainted, there. I think that we should get a move on, right?"

I shrugged and followed him.

* * *

I dragged Kiba into the hospital in the end. He had tried to go in, first, but I saw him sniff and get goosebumps. Though we had met up with Akamaru outside the Hokage's office, he wasn't hurt and the nurses had told Kiba that he wasn't allowed into the hospital any other way. 

We wandered around and finally found the room where they had put Jata. When we walked in, two nurses were with her, but Jata herself was conscious. One of them looked up with a question on her face, and I pointed to Kiba, who was trying to act nonchalant beside me. She sighed, and called him over to sit on the other bed.

Soro was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, whistling softly. Sasuke was leaning next to him, and only the arm he had around Itari's shoulders was keeping her from rushing back to Jata. I went to stand near them.

Itari was crying, still, and whimpered out, "Sh-she might die!"

Sasuke, very calm, corrected, "There were about three minutes of uncertainty, but she'll definitely recover."

Soro twitched, but didn't stop whistling without looking around at the world.

Itari continued, "And So-chan's afraid, too! Just tell him!"

Soro broke the tune to grumble, "Captain, my older sister died on a mission six months ago. _Please_ be quiet."

I said, "Kiba won in a fight against Koburon Gyo."

In the background, I heard the nurse ask Kiba where he had gotten a 'hickey', and then begin to laugh. When I glanced over, Kiba's face was red and he was glaring at me.

Itari's face evolved into dismay, and then glee. "Good, that bastard had it coming."

I ignored Kiba. "He is your brother, if I remember correctly?" I asked.

She sighed. "That he is. Home life was oodles of fun."

"May I ask why you have different family names?"

She relaxed, still leaning into Sasuke. All she said was, "He has a different mom, and we didn't even know bout eah other until we were twelve. Then, he came to live with us, and good times were had by all."

Obviously, she didn't want to talk about it. I let the matter rest.

The nurse that was taking care of Kiba was finished, and she checked with the other one before ascertaining that she was unnecessary and leaving. The nurse that was left finally looked up, and I realized why we were all waiting on the far side of the room.

Sakura approached us, keeping her head down. "Jata-chan is completely healed. It would have closed up on its own in a week, but then there is the risk of infection, so I used my chakra to speed the process up. She'll have a small scar, though."

Itari nodded quickly. "She has a bunch already. Ninja life is an adventure."

Sakura bowed. "I'll go. Try to limit your visit to ten minutes, since she used up most of her chakra in the fight."

Itari stepped forward and linked their hands. She murmured happily, "Thank you for this, Sakura-chan."

Sakura's eyes wavered to Sasuke. She hadn't done it for Itari's thanks.

Itari didn't seem to notice. She said, "So, you've heard that Sasuke and I are going to get married."

Sakura's voice was horse. "I heard. Congratulations on your baby, Itari-chan."

Itari asked, "Will you please be my maid of honor?"

Sakura opened her mouth in shock. Sasuke closed his eyes and wasn't surprised. Sakura said, "Itari-chan, I thought that Jata-chan was your best friend."

"Yes. We've been bestest friends ever since that night in Casablanca," Itari said gravely.

"It was out on her first away mission with us," Soro corrected her.

Sakura sighed. "Then have her be your maid of honor. I wouldn't be able to take it." She tried to go, but Itari was still holding onto her hand. Sakura bent her head, and finally lost her poise. She shouted, "Don't you get it? I love Sasuke! I've loved him for a long time! Not you're taking him away, and I can't do anything about it! Don't..." she wound down, crying, "don't ask me to sit in the room when you do."

Kiba had his shredded, bloody shirt off, and his jacket was probably ruined. But the major wound was bandaged, as well as other, smaller ones that I had overlooked. He walked up to us, standing close beside me, his face pale again.

Sakura had devolved into simply weeping. Itari said, "Sakura-chan, Sasuke asked me to do this."

Still no reaction from Sasuke. Sakura stared at him.

Itari said, "It's going to hurt, but it will also help you. You can still love Sasuke, but try to love someone else in a different way, and even _more_ than Sasuke. It'll be like closing a chapter of your life, and beginning a new one. Alright?"

Kiba's hand had migrated to mine, and he was holding onto it tightly, shaking a very little bit. When he realized what he was doing, he let go immediately.

Sakura said, softly, "Fine, Itari-chan. But it's your fault if I cry and ruin the wedding." They smiled at each other, and hugged, and Sakura left, trying to wipe her eyes clean of black cosmetics.

The moment she was gone, Jata sat up from bed. She wore jounin sweatpants and a purple chamisole, but even that had a large bloodstain. The jounin vest was nowhere to be found. On bare feet, she padded slowly to the door.

I said, "Isn't Jata-chan supposed to spend the night in the hospital?"

Itari grinned. "You're welcome to try and stop her again, hot stuff."

"But you could order her to stay and recuperate fully," I pointed out.

She flashed a happy smirk. "Yes, I could. But how is that fun?" She giggled, and added, "Plus, hospitals kind of weird her out."

Kiba laughed, some of his color returning. "Now that's my kind of woman."

And we all left with her, every single one of us a jounin.

* * *

Wow...I really had to force myself to write the fight. I intended for other stuff to happen, too, like, other moves - but, alas, the scene closed itself. But Gyo had his ass handed to him. Bastard. 

Shino is a hickey god. (That part just made me laugh _so much_...)


	19. Will

Because of this story, I have become obsessed with writing friendship things. As in, they're best friends and either they're going out by the end of it or they've got some extremely in-love-ish overtones. Damn.

* * *

Father, Mira, and I were seated around the table, about three weeks after I had received the title of jounin. In the last three days, Mira had finally stopped insisting that I show enthusiasm and cheer about my victory. 

Baru came in, smiling sarcastically at Mira. "I'll serve _champon_, my liege, if you don't mind."

Mira seemed to expect Baru's attitude, and she simply nodded. "Thank you, Baru-san."

When Mira turned and smiled pleasantly at me, Baru sneered over her shoulder so that I could see her. It was a comical view. I dipped my chin to my collar, in case my mouth rebelled and gave Baru away. Seeing my reaction, Baru winked, and straightened into an attentive pose as Mira turned back toward her.

"Baru-san, you may serve the meal now," Mira said quizzically.

Baru nodded dutifully and divided the bowl into three bowls, and then placed one in front of each of us. "I'll wait here to see if you like it, my liege," she said, standing again.

Mira smiled tersely and used her chopsticks to take a bite. Once she had swallowed, she said, "Oh, it's delicious, Baru-san. Finally, you've served something that actually has flavor! It's just what I asked for."

Baru said graciously, "Thank you, my liege. I try."

Father took a bite, chewed in silence, swallowed, and said, "I must excuse myself. There is business to which I must attend." He added, "Thank you, Baru. I'm sure that you already know my opinion of your cooking."

Baru nodded, a highly amused smile brightening her face. "I'm sure I do, Shibi. There is vegetable juice waiting for you on your desk. It should give you plenty of energy for your work, and it gets rid of the taste something grand."

He stood, and Mira and I stood at the same time. He said, "I understand, Baru." He left, and Mira and I sat once again.

Mira turned to me. "You're the only one that hasn't tried it, honey. Please, do."

I studied the champon. The noodles were thick and yellow, with broccoli and pork mixed throughout. All across the yellow expanse were flecks of black and red, floating ominously and warning of spice.

Mira asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Baru echoed, "Yes, young master, is there something wrong with my cooking?"

Cruel woman. I pulled a set of four noodles up with my chopsticks and set them in my mouth, and then began to chew. Each time my teeth burst one of the spices, only a small area of my mouth was stung and numbed, and the process was repeated countless times before I could swallow.

I glared at Baru, but she looked away with innocence oozing from every pore.

Mira said, "Baru was always serving bland dishes. I've been dying for something with more kick, haven't you?"

When she married Father, Mother asked Baru to serve especially bland dishes. Father and I both disliked spicy foods. Even after Mother's death, Baru had carried out her order. Now that Mira was the woman of the house, she controlled everything related to housework, including servants and meals served.

How had that conversation gone, for Baru to call Mira 'my liege' with such spite?

I said, "I'm finished. Thank you for the meal, Baru-san."

Baru shrugged. "I've got some vegetable juice for you, too, young master. It's on the counter in the kitchen."

I stood quickly. "I'll retire to bed early, then. Join me when you're also finished, Mira."

She was confused, but said, "Yes, of course, Shino…"

I left. I was going to starve in my own house.

* * *

We entered the Hyuuga's home at the same time, Akamaru a few steps ahead. Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, and, of course, Neji, were already there. 

The host announced, "There are snacks available. Please don't make a mess."

Kiba sat down against the wall, beside Naruto, and I followed him. He said, "Why are we letting Neji hold his own bachelor party, again?"

Naruto sighed. "I have no idea; Neji-sensei is such a stick in the mud. _I_ thought that it was supposed to be the best friend." He had gotten into the habit of repeating the joke too often; 'Neji-sensei' had become Naruto's new nickname for Neji.

Sasuke, on the other side of him, grumbled, "How the hell are we all going to fit into your tiny apartment, dumbass?"

Naruto stared at him for a moment, and then yelled, "Dude! I'm going to have to hold your bachelor party!" There was another pause. He grinned and poked Sasuke in the arm. "_You_ said that we're friends. I win!"

Kiba hit Naruto in the head with the palm of his hand. "You guys have been best friends for years, you idiot."

Naruto stuck his tongue out. "I know that! This bastard just never says it. Therefore, I win."

Sasuke snorted. "That doesn't even begin to make sense."

"Shut up!"

Neji stood up in front of everyone. "There is a slight problem in throwing this party."

Kiba groaned. "Who wants to bet that Lee was put in charge of guarding the booze?"

Lee stood up, too. "I would be Honored and Delighted to Guard Any Valuables, Kiba!" There was a long moment in which Lee somehow schooled his face into a pout. "However, that is not the Problem."

Neji said, "As you know, it is typical for the best friend to hold these parties, rather than the bachelor himself. However, I insisted that my home be used, since the wedding with be held here in the first place. The girls are all sleeping over at Shino's house." He turned to me. "Please thank your wife for her kindness."

I nodded. Kiba obstinately looked away.

Neji continued, "Lee was feeling… left out. He was put in charge of drinks."

Shikamaru said, "Oh, for the love of God…"

Lee said, "I was Mysteriously Unable to Obtain Alcohol!"

"All the vendors in the city know not to give you any, Lee," Chouji informed him.

Naruto yelled, "Well, how am I going to get drunk, then?"

Neji narrowed his eyes and said shortly, "A Hyuuga does not appreciate a drunkard."

If Neji had meant himself, he would have said so. Naruto swallowed and slumped back against the wall, unwilling to argue anymore.

Neji said, "So, we don't have any alcohol, and my home will not be destroyed." He smiled, an unusual thing. "What a wonderful wedding present, Lee. Thank you."

Lee didn't reply. He was staring at Neji.

Kiba shifted. "Yeah…it might be a while before Lee comes back to Earth."

Naruto said, "Why?"

Kiba leaned closer to him, and tried to mumble quietly, "What would you do if Sasuke just randomly smiled?"

Naruto nodded sagely. "Yeah, I get it."

Shikamaru also got it, but he had far less patience. "Yeah, okay, fine. Then where are the girls?"

Naruto immediately jumped back into the mob mentality. "I demand to be entertained!"

Neji said simply, "If I had invited all the girls over, Hinata would have been left alone the night before her wedding."

Kiba nearly said, "So what?" I could see it in his expression and posture. Thankfully, he remembered that this was Hinata and not Mira and held his tongue.

Sasuke asked, "Then what're we going to do?"

Neji frowned at him. "There is food, and pallets for you all to sleep on in the next room. Beyond that, I don't care."

Lee said vacantly, "So…um…" He shook his head, and returned to himself. "I have Solved the Problem! To Exert Ourselves, we must _Dance_!" He held his arms above his head, ready to twirl.

"No!" we all yelled.

Neji put his hand on Lee's shoulder. "I think that it's important for you to sleep now. You're becoming irrational."

"But I am Filled with the will to Display my Invigoration!" Lee yelled, and then put his arms up again.

"Bed. Now." Neji dragged him into another room, one hand up and waving to us.

Kiba had both hands over his mouth, and he was giggling uncontrollably. Naruto wasn't even trying to stifle himself, and they both leaned their heads together, sharing their humor.

Sasuke watched them, and then met my gaze over the top of the blond and brown hair. His neck was tensing with suppressed anger, and he was daring me, waiting for me to move first.

I pulled Kiba's sleeve until he straightened and separated from Naruto. Naruto sat up as well, but managed to stop laughing.

Sasuke relaxed and set his head against the wall, looking away but still listening.

Naruto said, "Wow, Neji's getting _forceful_."

Kiba said, "Well, yeah, he's getting married tomorrow. Gotta enjoy it while he can, right?"

Naruto blinked at him. His eyes were too blue and innocent. "Why do you assume that getting married is going to stop it?"

Kiba looked down, to where Akamaru was asleep on top of his feet. His face was beginning to heat up.

Naruto apparently hadn't noticed. He explained, "See, Neji and Hinata _do_ love each other, okay? But it's not the kind of love that married people really feel. It's not the same as between the bastard and Itari, or Shino and Mira."

Kiba closed his eyes, and opened them to look at me.

Naruto didn't stop. "But Neji and Lee really _love_ love each other, and…um… Hinata and I do, too. Sort of thing." His face was almost as red as Kiba's. "And we've all pretty much come to an understanding."

Sasuke said scornfully, "You're saying this as though it's supposed to be a surprise, retard."

"Shut up, asshole," Naruto snapped immediately. "And don't tell anybody else, okay?"

"Yeah," Kiba said, forcing himself to look away from me. "We won't tell. Are you sure that no one else knows, though?"

Naruto shrugged. "We've been very stealthy. We're ninjas, you know."

"Yeah, and everyone else is, too," Sasuke said. "The kids around here aren't stupid. People know things."

Naruto adopted a look of panic.

I said, "Mira doesn't know."

Without thinking, Kiba said, "Mira's an idiot, she doesn't count."

Sasuke snorted. "I guess you can't really reproach Neji and Lee, can you, Kiba?"

Kiba stared at him, and then said too quickly, "What does that mean?"

Sasuke sneered back, "Do you think that you're any more secretive than dead-last here and his friends?"

Kiba's face went from red to white in less than a second. "Wh-what?"

Sasuke said, "Itari and Jata have been going on about it ever since they both knew you. They think it's adorable. Itari says that you two work together too well in the dark, and Jata…"

"She talks?" I asked.

He shrugged. "She talks to Itari, apparently, whenever no one else is around. Jata's very observant, just for the record. And she says that _you_, Kiba, are extremely obvious."

Naruto was staring at Sasuke, just as surprised. Kiba wasn't looking at him anymore.

I asked, "Obvious about what?"

Sasuke's mostly superior expression dissolved into suspicion, and then disbelief. He said, "Oh, fuck, Jata was right, you _don't_ know."

Kiba stood up so quickly that Akamaru bounced to his feet. He stuttered, "We're – I mean, I'm going to sleep now."

"I will, too," I said, and followed him to my feet.

As we were about to leave, Kiba turned back to Sasuke. "But nothing's happened since he got married, do you hear me?"

Sasuke shrugged, and said back, just as quietly, "Then good luck to you. You're not as bad off as Sakura, though."

Kiba stomped away, and I went after him with Akamaru. We entered the room that Neji had indicated. In it were six pallets, laid out in two rows of three.

Kiba pinched his nose. "I guess they didn't make it to Neji's room before they got personal."

"Did Neji and Lee have sex here?" I asked blandly, removing my jacket. I had claimed the pallet in the top right corner of the room from the entrance.

He shook his head and started taking off his own jacket, standing on the pallet to my left. "No, but it smells enough like lust. Lust and sex are different, by the way. And," he blushed scarlet, "the smell of sex stays longer. Hana-nee-chan came into my tent, like, a week later and started laughing again."

I asked, "What was Sasuke talking about?"

Kiba's spine stiffened, and then he stood with a purpose. He marched over to me, removed my glasses, slipped his fingers through my hair, and kissed me. "Nothing, Shino, okay? Don't worry about it."

I set my hands on his thin waist. "Kiba, why are we suddenly talking about the fact that we had sex?"

He shrugged, stepped away, and handed me back my glasses. "It must be one of those social things that you can never understand."

I put them back on and watched as he lay down.

He said, "Just go to sleep."

So I did.

* * *

I sat in a dark purple yukata. It had no adornments, since it was not designed to draw the eye. At this point, I was part of a pattern, with Hinata and Neji at its center. 

To my right sat Mira in a light lavender yukata. All of the men matched me, and all of the women matched her.

The entourage, those of us who were specifically involved in the wedding, sat in a wide circle going around the room. In order, clockwise, sat: Jata; Gaara; Itari; Sasuke; Sakura; Shikamaru; Ino; Lee; Tenten; Naruto; Hanabi; Kiba; Mira; and I, sitting beside Jata again. We formed a ring of alternating light and dark purple.

The next circle in was made up of guests: Iruka; Chouji; Soro; Father; Temari; and Kankuro. The next circle: Gai; Kakashi; Asuma; and Kurenai. Finally, sitting directly across from each other, sat Tsunade and Jiraiya.

At the center of the concentric circles stood Hinata and Neji, facing Hiashi, as the head of the Hyuuga clan. Neji was acceptably dressed up, stubbornly displaying the curse seal mark on his forehead, which showed that he was not from the main house of the Hyuuga clan.

Hinata was pale, with her lips and cheeks reddened and her eyelashes made thicker. A glittering headband trailed a veil halfway down her back, and her kimono itself looked as though it was made of tissue paper. She was graceful and thin and ethereal; our Hinata was a bride.

The only thing I could not figure out was the presence of Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. The siblings from Sunagakure had turned up that morning, and Neji seemed to expect them, since he had instantly produced a yukata for Gaara to wear in the wedding. One would think that having the Kazekage appear suddenly in his house would at least ruffle him, but no. Gaara's siblings were content to be part of the audience.

Hiashi said, "A ring has no beginning, and so will never end; these two souls are one, leading one to the next and back. Today, you are here to witness, without malice, in perfect balance, their joining."

Hinata smiled, and then met her father's eyes and grew serious, and then found Naruto and smiled again. Naruto smiled back, but he also looked as though he would be sick.

Lee had simply closed his eyes.

Apparently, the Hyuuga clan had never master the art of brevity. The ceremony continued for an hour longer.

* * *

After the ceremony, the guests were all invited to a feast held by the Hyuugas. Really, it was a series of small courses designed in such a way that everyone could talk and congratulate the newlyweds inbetween. Neji started talking to Lee, and then lost interest in greeting other people; Hinata blushed and thanked everyone, but became distracted if Naruto wasn't within arm's reach. 

I asked Hiashi, "Hyuuga-san, is it normal for them to greet people separately?"

He studied them a moment, and then seemed to remember something and nearly smiled. "It is customary for the bride and groom to be independant when receiving guests; a sign that they trust each other completely, even when apart."

I nodded my understanding and moved away from him. I had wanted to determine whather or not he knew, but it was still unclear.

I found Itari with her arm hooked around Jata's. She said brightly, "Guess what, Shi-kun?"

"What, Itari-chan?" I asked. It was easier to go along with whatever game she wanted to play.

"The Kazekage is here! Isn't that amazing?"

I said, "Gaara competed against me in our first chuunin exams, before he received his title. The novelty has worn off in four years."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever. That's exactly what Sasuke said, except he used more naughty words."

"They fought each other. I would expect him to."

"You're still friends with Jata, and you gave her a scar," she pointed out happily.

Jata looked up at me with her large violet eyes and lifted her chin fractionally.

I reponded, "Hello to you, too, Jata-chan."

Itari frowned and then covered her friend's eyes with one hand. "Mine!"

"I understand, Itari-chan. Are you going to talk to Gaara?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I guess. Everyone says that he's scary as hell, but I can see him from here. Look."

I looked. Gaara was standing next to his brother Kankuro, but he had changed out of his purple yukata in favor of his typical high-collared, floor-length black coat and white buckled vest over that. His gourd, containing the sand that he controlled with his chakra and fought with, was slug low across his back. His hair was the color of blood and cropped close to his head, his eyes were between green and blue, and there was the red tattoo reading 'love' on his forehead.

"He hasn't changed in a very long time, Itari-chan," I said.

"Yeah, but he's uber-sexy! The only reason that So-chan hasn't jumped him yet is probably fear of death."

I glanced at her. "I would advise against any jumping."

"Okay, fine, but you have to agree with me - he's _hot_."

I shrugged. "I have no attraction to him."

"Well, you're an alien. Come on, you have to come with us and protect the poor women and children from the scary man." She took hold of the sleeve of my jacket and dragged me forward. Jata came willingly.

We stopped in front of the brothers. Kankuro ignored us and said, "Hey, Gaara, it looks like SpandexMan's not going to come over to talk to you. Maybe you need to take the initiative on this one."

Gaara frowned at him, and then looked at us. More specifically, he looked at Jata.

Itari launched into a long-winded speech detailing her life to date, and then another one about Jata. As she wound down, she realized that neither of them had twitched the entire time.

Kankuro said, "The Kazekage guy may be temporarily unavailable. He gets like this when he's sizing people up."

They stared at each other for a few moments more.

Itari said enthusiastically, "Hey, do you think that one of them might eventually explode? _Someone_ has to win the staring contest."

Gaara opened his mouth and said, "Jata." His eyes narrowed, and he said, "I approve." He looked up. "Igumo Itari." He stared at her for three seconds, but she knew how to let it slide off. "I would not have chosen you as the Uchiha's type."

She shrugged. "Don't tell ayone, but it's a shotgun wedding. We accidentally had sex a lot."

Gaara stared her blankly, and didn't understand. His considerably-more-knowledgeable brother chuckled underneath all of the stripes of dark purple stage makeup he wore on his face.

I said, "I am unnecessary. I will go."

Kankuro called after me, "Hey, Aburame! Nice work, your wife's a babe!"

I ignored him and looked for Kiba. He had disappeared. Mira was leaning against a wall with a self-satisfied smile.

I settled on standing near Ino, Tenten, and Sakura, who were huddled in a corner.

Sakura was on the lookout. She said, "Okay, Temari just brought him a drink and rejoined the conversation with him, Tsunade, and Jiraiya."

Ino was facing away pointedly. "Did he thank her?"

Sakura shrugged. "He didn't even look at her. Don't worry about it."

"Don't _worry_ about it? You only get that confortable if you're, like, _married_! Of course I'm worrying!" Ino's was whispering, her voice coming out as an emphatic squeak.

Tenten was leaning against the wall, mildly amused. "Has he ever thanked _you_ for anything?"

Sakura smiled. "He thanked her for the lapdance last night!"

Ino pouted. "That's completely beside the point!"

Tenten sighed and pushed herself off the wall. "Look, either take my comforting thoughts or don't, but keep it to yourself."

The blond rounded on me. "Shino, what do you think?"

I had only been half-listening, still scanning the room in case Kiba returned. Akamaru was still here, after all. "I haven't observed any romantic behavior."

Tenten shook her head. "He doesn't know how to distinguish either way. You know that Shino's an idiot."

Sakura, still on the lookout, said amusedly, "Oh, look, they're giving each other hickeys. That's adorable."

"_What?_" Ino gasped, spinning around. Temari had moved to stand with her brothers, Kankuro and Gaara, while Shikamaru was sitting at the table with Chouji.

A new dish had been served. I walked a few steps toward the table, but then Mira approached me. "Look, Shino, some celebratory udon. It has some spiced chicken in it, isn't that great? Almost like Baru specifically requested it for us!"

I looked at it, and looked at her, and said, "I have already eaten several dishes. I'm no longer hungry."

She pouted. "Just one more, please? It's delicious!"

I took it, and the chopstickes she handed me. I studied at the food for a moment, orienting myself in the mindset that this was a mission.

Kiba ducked into the room, frowning, and spotted me. He identified Mira, and the bowl, and grinned. He sauntered over, slowly and smugly.

Mira saw him soon enough and her smile vanished.

Kiba leaned over me, took the chopsticks away, and methodically began to pick out the chicken pieces. As each one disappeared into his mouth, he stared daggers at Mira, and that smugness intensified.

Mira said sweetly, "Kiba-kun, what are you doing? That's Shino's food."

He took the last piece of spiced chicken, chewed, and swallowed, before he said, just as sweetly, "I'm helping out a friend. Shino hates spicy food, and I'm pretty sure his dad does, too, so far as that guy has emotions about anything."

Tenten, still with Ino and Sakura behind us, said helpfully, "Case in point."

Mira gasped and opened her mouth, but didn't have words for him. After a tense silence, she bit out, "We're leaving, Shino."

I shrugged and started heading for the door. "Goodbye, then, Kiba."

Kiba kept up with me for a few seconds as Mira gathered her things. "Training tomorrow?"

"Of course," I said. "Why wouldn't we?"

He smiled, relieved. "I'll see you then."

And I left with my wife.

* * *

Oh my effing god that took so long...like, eight days or something. I jotted down notes as I thought of them at first, the details about the scenes and, like, who was there and what they said. I like my outline much better. It was funny. For the very end, it says: 

S: "Farewell, my love." K: "I'll think of you forever."

(Sigh) It makes me wish that I was writing the sort of story where people actually say the words "I love you" and get it right. Haha, never. Shino's dumb, but it makes for some interesting television.

I _so_ though that he had it after everything that Sasuke said. I was writing it without really thinking - kind of on autopilot - and I re-read it and thought, 'Damn, now I'll have to fix that.' But, after it happened, it was impossible to think of that scene happening any other way. I was even going to at least change the wording, but, no. I kept setting up sentences where the word 'love' was used, and even Shino isn't that dumb.

Oh, and I'm re-watching the episodes where Sasuke and Naruto have their big fight and Sasuke ditches. I'm glad that all this stuff never happened in _my_ story. It looks painful.


	20. Disappear

I'm so sorry that this took so long. I have excuses! My laptop died hard-drive-ily - the chapters up here are now the only copy I have of this story. (Tired) That, and I had writer's block for six days and took like four days to even write the chapter. BUt...plot development. And a new romance (if you didn't pick up on it last chapter).

* * *

Kiba, Hinata, and I were training together. At first, Hinata had been bashful around us - we were both jounins. Hinata reverted to her shy instincts easily. However, Kiba and I had made it very clear that there was no reason for our friendship to be interrupted just because we had taken a test and she had not. 

Now, Hinata successfully deflected all of our attacks, and then relaxed and her eyes stopped straining with the Byakugan technique. We approached from our hiding places and stood at the center of the green field.

Kiba grinned. "Nice to see that Neji hasn't completely domesticated you, Sis."

She blushed, but beamed. "I'm getting stronger. I'm definitely getting stronger! I'm so happy!"

Kiba wrapped an arm around her waist. "Hey, remember why you first started training? You were trying to get Naruto to pay attention, right?"

Her blush deepened, and she nodded. "That was before Naru-chan and I went out. I... I don't train for him anymore."

Kiba prodded, "Not for Neji, either, right? I mean, yeah, married for three months, whoop-dee-doo, but you're your own chick, right?"

I said, "Our sister trains to become stronger for herself. She finds her own value in it."

Hinata smiled and said, "Yes, Onii-san. I am stronger, and I'm glad." In a familiar gesture, she held her arms out and apart, and then reached up as far as she could to wrap them around my neck and kiss my cheek. She giggled, "You've gotten even _taller._"

Kiba snorted. "I wouldn't put it past him. Bastard."

"I have apologized in the past, Kiba," I told him simply.

"I don't need to hear that you're sorry that I'm short!" he yelled back, stomping his foot in a juvenile display that meant he was joking.

Still, Hinata didn't like raised voices, and changed subjects. "Nii-chan, do you have your eyes on anyone? It seems like everyone is settling down..."

Kiba looked at her, and then communicated something with his expression that I could not see from my angle, and said, "No, but it's not like all my options are closed."

She mouthed a silent apology, which Kiba stopped quickly before turning to make sure that I was looking at the sky and not out of the corner of my glasses at them.

Kiba changed the subject again, more naturally. "Anyway, Sis, spill. I've been a perfect gentleman for months. How was your wedding night?"

Steam threatened to escape from her ears, and Kiba stuck his tongue out at her in revenge. Hinata stuttered, "I-it was f-f-_fine_!"

"Yeah?" he asked, pleased with himself. "Was I right, about the jump straight into bed?"

"...W-we had kissed before that..." she mumbled, shrinking into her shoulders.

Kiba shrugged, dismissing this. "Uh-huh, barely." He paused, considering the revelation. "No, seriously, you two are all like...having sex, and all that? Seriously?"

I thought she might faint, so I answered for her. "They have been married for three months, Kiba."

He made a face. "Okay, ew, I never thought of it that way. Now I have to beat the hell out of Neji."

"For having sex with his wife?" I asked, slightly bemused.

"No, for having sex with my sister. Ew." He looked as though he had eaten a lemon. "I mean, I get that Hana-nee-chan is, like, twenty-five and all, and I'm fine with her having boyfriends, but... this is _Hinata_ we're talking about."

Hinata worked up the courage to add something. "He's always careful... and he makes sure that I'm comfortable, no matter what..."

Kiba was beginning to blush. I was no longer embarrassed by sex, but I sometimes forgot that Kiba had had only one experience with it.

I looked at Hinata a moment. "At the reception for your wedding, was Neji alone with Itari for any length of time?"

"Maybe. What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Let's head back into town." But, as we went, I stole glances at Kiba, whose body language was more tense than usual.

* * *

We stood in a line with Neji, Lee, and Shikamaru before the Hokage's desk inside her office. I could see Kiba becoming bored; standing at attention was never a strong point for him. At least Akamaru wasn't allowed in, or Kiba would have been lost. 

Tsunade sat at her desk, and, in three chairs to the right, sat Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. They had not left since Hinata's wedding, and Shikamaru complained about the daily negotiation meetings going on.

Tsunade spoke. "All five of you are here because you have excellent records. It is a high honor to receive a mission such as this."

Shikamaru said, "Well, _we're_ boned."

Temari laughed, a single sound. Kankuro nudged her arm with his elbow.

Tsunade smiled, and seemed to suppress an echoing chuckle. " Nara, you're going to Sunagakure. Aren't you glad?"

Shikamaru said petulantly, "With all due respect, lady, the novelty's wearing off."

This time, Kankuro nudged his sister even before she laughed, and she quickly schooled her expression into a serious frown.

Neji asked, "And the rest of us, Hokage-sama?"

She frowned, very slightly. "You'll also be going to Suna. Not for negotiating, though."

Temari explained in a clear, mature, diplomat's voice, "You and some of our shinobi will be creating a joint force. Don't worry, they'll whip you into shape."

Neji sighed. "Translation: even more politics, this time to cement the Konoha-Suna alliance."

Tsunade grinned. "You got it. Best of luck."

Kiba sighed and said, "Okay, this'll suck. Why don't you send some ANBU operatives? They're obviously better."

Tsunade shrugged. "We're allied, Inuzuka, not married." She meant that ANBU-level ninja were worth more than the alliance.

I asked, "Is is imparative that we leave immediately? The Uchiha wedding is in a week."

Gaara's eyes flashed. "We're leaving."

"Whatever, Kazekage Kid. You hate Sasuke, fine," Kiba laughed it off.

Lee yelled triumphantly, "This is an Amazing Opportunity and Honor, in the First Combined Force of the Two Nations!"

Gaara turned his piercing green eyes on Lee and said nothing.

Neji put a hand on Lee's shoulder and muttered something, and Lee calmed down, still sparkling considerably.

Gaara frowned, watching them.

Tsunade said, "You leave tomorrow for a four-week trip. You are forewarned..." she faded away. She began again, more forcefully, "Spreading this information will be considered an act of treason against your country." She faded to a whisper. "There will probably be a battle between Hi no Kuni, Suna no Kuni, and Kusa no Kuni before that time is up. Be prepared, because that damn joint force is going to be used as though it _were_ ANBU."

We all nodded, once, at the same time. Understood.

She smiled. "Besides, it's not as though absolutely none of you have received recommendations for ANBU already. I never got a chance to congratulate you on your speed in the preliminary exams, Shino-kun, Kiba-kun."

Kiba's mouth dropped open. I had been expecting such a comment, and surreptitiously pushed Kiba's mouth closed once more.

However, nothing ever surprised Shikamaru. His mind was obviously wandering, and he made an off-topic remark; "I think that, for the first time in history, they're going to be scrambling for more _men_ to be in a wedding. At least Chouji'll get to be a groomsman, finally."

Temari snapped her fingers, drawing his eyes. "Stay focused."

He shot back, "I already know what's going to be said within a five percent margin of probability, alright? It bores me."

She scowled. "Try to tone that whole arrogant, smartass attitude down, Nara."

He smirked. "Try to keep _your_ frigid bitch thing under control, then."

Kankuro was looking away, hand over his mouth, laughing as quietly as he could. Gaara glanced between Shikamaru and his older sister, his pale face blanching even more.

Temari nearly spat with rage. "Dick!"

Shikamaru no longer found the situation funny. "Whore."

Gaara whispered, impossibly quietly, "Stop talking."

Temari, perched on the edge of another witty rejoinder, instinctively closed her mouth.

Kiba awkwardly tried to break the sudden silence. "Okay, seriously, _this_ guy's the best negotiator we have?"

Tsunade was laughing just as much as Kankuro. "You bet your ass he is. You should've seen the talks with Kusa before they broke down!"

Gaara said, in the same tight voice, "You're all dismissed."

Tsunade, very gently, murmured, "In my office, _I_ get to do the dismissing, as a sort of general rule."

Gaara glared at her. "_Get him out of here._"

Tsunade nodded to us, and we all turned to leave. "Remember, four weeks. Be prepared...for anything."

When we were halfway across the room, I heard Temari apologizing repeatedly to her brother.

* * *

I entered my house later that day. Mira was in the kitchen, but, as the door closed, her authoritative voce cut off and she appeared in the doorway. 

"Good afternoon, Shino," she greeted me happily. "You know, I've been talking with Baru, and I've definitely found a middle ground this time."

She had been trying to consolidate our food preferences ever since Kiba had enlightened her. Mira's 'middle grounds' had certainly led to some interesting meals. Baru participated enthusiastically and took an unreasonable amount of entertainment away from every attempt. I was reminded constantly of Jata.

I said, "I must speak with Father."

Mira blinked. "Why?"

Baru, from the kitchen, said, "He's in his study, young master, much to my surprise."

"Thank you." I stepped past Mira and walked down the hall to the familiar screen door. I stood outside for a moment, and then respectfully knocked on the solid wood frame and waited.

"Enter," Father said.

I went in and stood at attention, just as I had for the Hokage. "Father, I have received a mission to travel to Sunagakure for a month."

He looked up. "What is the mission?"

"To create a group of both Konoha and Suna shinobi."

Nodding, he asked more sharply, "What of the war?"

I could not answer. Instead, I said, "The punishment for gossip will be a conviction of treason."

He nodded again. "So there will be a battle, and you will be part of it."

I said nothing.

Father went back to his work. "Tell your wife, but do not mention the war. You would not want to upset her."

I could not resist the urge to ask, "Is that what you did with Mother?"

He looked up, surprised by the question. He began to work once more. "Your mother always came with me. And if she didn't," I saw the barest hint of a smile, "she never believed that it would be a safe, simple mission."

I bowed and left the room. In should have expected that. Mother had been a ninja; she knew what was happening.

I found Mira and explained my mission, neglecting the subject of war.

* * *

At the end of the first day of travel, we were still inside the wide forest that surrounded Konoha. The moment the sun sank beneath the horizon, Gaara said, "We will stop." 

Temari and Kanuro, both older than him and his top advisors, automatically followed this order. Kankuro started to pull a tent out of his pack, and Temari took out rations to prepare as food.

Lee and Neji looked at Shikamaru, who had the most experience with these three. He shrugged and pretended to get down to work before drifting off and watching instead. Lee was devoted to erecting his tent in less than a minute, though, and actually managed to set off a small explosion when smoke bombs slipped out of his pouch in his haste.

Kiba looked at me, and I nodded before helping him set up another tent.

Gaara stood silently, observing, and no one asked the Kazekage to help. Lee and Neji wound up making two tents, since Lee became determined to try again for a single minute.

By twilight, we had all eaten and four tents stood around our campsite. Each of them was standard issue, holding two men.

As we all cleaned up the meal, Neji said, "Then, we'll go to sleep and keep moving at dawn. Lee and I will take this tent."

Gaara spoke for the first time since the order to stop. "It will be Kankuro and Temari, Neji and Shikamaru, Shino and Kiba."

Neji blinked, nonplussed. Lee looked up from his hands innocently. Neji tried, "Why must I share with Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru said, "Yeah, I could share with... I don't know... maybe Te-"

"_My_ brother and _my_ sister will share a tent," Gaara hissed. A stream of sand spilled up out of the gourd on his back and rose in a threatening wave.

Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah, okay, Kazekage-sama. I get it."

Gaara retired to his tent - which he apparently chose at random. Immediately afterward, Kankuro and Temari also went to their tent to sleep.

Neji began to bank the fire, building soft dirt up around it on every side. He grumbled, "That's illogical. If it's just about Shikamau and Temari being separated, then maybe Gaara should share with Shikamaru."

Shikamaru mock-gasped. "But what if he stabs me in the night?"

Neji rolled his eyes. "If he hates you that much, then you and Kankuro could share and Gaara could be with his sister. It's simple."

Lee asked, "With Whom am I Sleeping? I am Bewildered."

Neji flinched, laying flat sticks over the top of the fire mound. "You're not _sleeping_ with anyone, Lee."

"Then I will be Worn Out in the Morning."

Neji nearly burned himself. He huffed, "Just go to your tent."

Shikamaru took over the fire, piling more solid soil over the bridge. Lee disappeared obediently. Neji sat back on his heels, putting his face in his hands and breathing out.

Shikamaru commented, "Well, you lost _that_ battle."

"Shut up." Neji stood and went to his tent, zipping it up belligerently behind him.

* * *

I had been to Sunagakure a few times before. Its climate was arid and hot year-round, situated in the largest desert on the continent. 

Still, the change in setting was jarring; in only a few miles, the forest became grassland, and the grassland subsided to desert. Our feet sank inches into the yellow-orange sand with every step, and the sun sat heavily on the backs of our necks. Each step seemed more taxing than the last.

Fortunately, Sunagakure was less than half a day's travel from the outer edge of the desert. We arrived with enthusiasm.

The smaller buildings were made of an adobe clay harder than brick. Each was shaped like a teardrop: a small, circular base; bulbous, curved walls, and a thin spire leading upward. Larger buildings, with several floors, rose high above and created a skyline of kid's blocks left out of order. Everything was the same washed-out tan color, and wind whistled through every street.

Temari smiled. "Home sweet home."

Gaara didn't stop walking until we had reached a building six stories high. Then, he announced, "You will sleep here," and began walking again. Kankuro followed him, waving one hand over his shoulder in goodbye.

Temari said imperiously, "Alright, pay attention. Your rooms are complimentary, but this _is_ a hotel, so behave yourselves." She stepped inside, and motioned for us to follow.

As we were climbing the stairs – only three flights in all before we entered a hall – Temari continued, " Nara has the first room on the third floor, Neji-san the second, Lee-san the third, Kiba-san the fourth, and Shino-san the fifth. There are five other rooms on the floor, all for political guests; your Hokage arranged the rooms so that the last of you would be a quiet guest. Other than that, she put you where she wanted."

The narrow hall we were now at the beginning of was square and architecturally bland; there was a window at the far end, the glass rattling occasionally with the wind outside, and a red carpet to soften the clay floor. There were ten squares sunken into the walls at regular intervals, but no visible doors.

Temari said, "Here's how it works; put your hand inside the alcove here," she demonstrated, "and give it a taste of your chakra." There was a blue light, and a section of wall to her right fell away like sand. "And then, here's the door."

Shikamaru reached past her, nudging her out of the way with his body. "Damnit, Temari! I know how these work!" He put his hand in the alcove, as well, and there was another flash. "You have to give it all the guests' chakra signatures within a minute, or else the door will only open for the people it knows."

She laughed at him. "They clear the signatures, though."

"Yeah, when the guest checks out, but not before! What if I hadn't been able to get into my own room?" he complained, but slipped off his pack and threw it into the room on the other side of the open door.

Temari shrugged and turned to the rest of us. "There's an empty field to the south, in the lee of the tallest building in Suna. It'll be protected from the wind. Meet at noon tomorrow, and the rest of your team will be there."

We nodded our understanding, and she bowed low before pulling the oversized fan that she used as a weapon off her back. "Oh, right, Nara. The usual place, at nine. Don't be late." She swung the open fan so that it hid her body, and then there was a small cloud of smoke and she was gone.

As his door of sand regrew behind him and solidified, Shikamaru grumbled, "I fuckin' _hate_ negotiations."

Neji and Lee managed to gain entry into their rooms, and both said that they would wash up and sleep. It was already early evening by then.

Kiba and Akamaru both showed their chakras to the door – Akamaru would be able to come and go freely. They went in, and the door sealed up behind him.

I moved to my own, and opened it. Suddenly, Kiba appeared over my shoulder and stuck his hand into my alcove, emitting the familiar light. He snickered and said, "Hah! I win!"

"What do you win, Kiba?" I asked patiently as I set my pack just inside the room.

He shrugged. "I got the idea from Temari. Anyway, the door opens again from the inside if you just walk toward it. Pretty cool, huh?"

I nodded. "Yes, Kiba. I suggest you sleep soon."

He stood in the doorway and fidgeted for a moment. "Um, one thing first."

I would have asked him what he needed, but he stepped forward carefully, lifted my glasses away, and pulled at the back of my neck to get me to bend down and kiss him. He pressed my glasses into my hand, smiled brightly, and turned around. The newly-formed wall melted away, and he said, "Awesome." Then, he was gone.

I slid my glasses back on and surveyed my room.

It was about three meters by two, with a twin-sized bed against the far wall and a sealed window above it. Six feet up on the three walls without the door was a band of light actually set into the adobe, glowing faintly. As I watched, it visibly dimmed. Curious.

Next to the bed was a set of drawers that doubled as a nightstand, and a small table in the center of the room. In the closer corner to my left, there was a foot-deep basin resting beneath a faucet in the wall.

There was no toilet, which surprised me. I had seen a sign for the restrooms in the lobby as we breezed through it; were they the only ones in the hotel? It would take more energy to bring water so high up, and water was already a precious commodity. Why, then, the faucet and basin?

I took my clothes – five sets – out of my pack and crossed the room to the drawers. In the first was a small cloth and wrapped soap, and the second was empty. In went my clothes.

I took the cloth and soap from the top drawer and looked from them to the basin. It was worth an attempt.

I filled the basin and removed my jacket, various concealed weapons, undershirt, shoes, and pants. I knelt before the basin and wet the cloth, then began running it over my skin in small patches. Such an intention was plausible; after all, it greatly saved water.

While I slowly cleaned myself, I pondered the basin. It was set with smooth, red stones in a ring, with a miniature mosaic of varying texture depicting the hourglass symbol of Suna. The design was beautiful in its own right.

I finished, still damp, and looked at the murky water. Experimentally, I lifted the basin and discovered a wide drain beneath it. The water was carefully poured out.

I set the basin back in its place, and the door opened suddenly.

Kiba said, "Shino, I think they're calling me short, that bathtub is way too sm…" He stopped in the doorway, eyes wide, mouth working absently. "Sm… s… _shit_."

I stood up. "There are items in your top drawer that should enlighten you."

He pressed his hand over his mouth, not blinking. He ground out, "Holy fuck, Shino. You're… you're _glistening_. What the hell?"

I shrugged, a habit I had only picked up after Kiba's body language training. "I bathed. I'm still wet. They only provided a washcloth, not a towel."

The hand over his mouth slid up to his eyes, and he took several long breaths. "Um, next time I see Temari, remind me to thank her, alright? I'm gonna," he pointed with both hands, and lost his place when his eyes were open, "oh God… I'm… gonna go back to my room… a-and… Night, Shino."

I watched as the door built itself up behind him, and determined that I was dry enough to put on my pajama pants and go to sleep.

* * *

Adi, that scene I told you about will be next chapter. (sigh) I tried, alright? 


	21. Eventually

I opened my eyes and stared through my dark glasses at a barely-visible tan ceiling. I stayed lying under warm blankets as I attempted to establish my position and why I had woken up.

No visible, audible, or tactile threat presented itself. No physical response to danger was apparent.

Where was I? What was wrong?

The world became slightly, steadily brighter. I focused, and saw that the light was coming from a band on the wall, outlining a room. I sat up, and remembered.

I was in Sunagakure for a four-week mission.

I let a long breath escape me, and then set my feet on the cold clay of the floor. The cold was a shock, and I stood more quickly, stretching out stiff muscles in my back.

There was a sort of contented sigh from the door. I glanced up as I reached for the bottom drawer of the table beside the bed. Kiba was standing there, with a bleary, vague smile.

I said, "Good morning, Kiba."

Kiba shook himself awake and explained, "I've been wanting to see you wake up slowly. I guess that only happens when you're in a bed, huh? Not during a mission. In the field, I mean." He thought for a moment and added with a dwindling smile, "Not around me."

I put on my shirt, and changed my pants. My shoes, standard weapons, and jacket followed. I stood and moved to wait in front of him. He was blocking the way to the hall. "Kiba."

He startled again and laughed softly. "Sorry, just enjoying something. I think that the lights here keep with the rhythm of the sun, right? Like, the sun rises, and the lights get bright, and then it sets, and the lights turn off. I have no idea how they could've done it, though."

I speculated, "They may utilize a certain portion of the sun's energy for lighting, which would ebb and flow with time. It is an ingenious system."

He laughed, and stepped back and into the hall. Akamaru was waiting at the opening into the stairwell.

We had a few hours to spare, so we explored the village. We probably wouldn't get the chance, later.

* * *

We arrived at the training field approximately ten minutes early. Neji, Lee, and four others were already there. 

Lee greeted us, shouting, "We were Unable to Locate you This Morning, and Held Hope that you would Join us in this Place of Alliance!"

Neji ignored him, and held up one hand in acknowledgement of our arrival. Two of the others smothered laughter, but sobered when Neji turned his glassy eyes on them.

One of them straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat. "It isn't time for the training to begin, but it seems that everyone is here. Would introductions be in order?"

We stood with the others from Konoha, while the Suna nin grouped together four meters away. Neji said, "Very well." There was a still moment, as both sides expected the other to begin first, before Neji added, "I am Hyuuga Neji, and this is Rock Lee," he indicated his friend. "Aburame Shino, Inuzuka Kiba, and the dog-nin Akamaru." Kiba raised his hand when named, and Akamaru barked.

The apparent leader of the other group said, "Understood. I am Onto." He was an average-height brunette, with his shoulder-length hair in a loose tie. His eyes were black, his nose remarkably long and straight, giving him a distinguished air.

Onto gestured to the other boy who had laughed. "Jehal." Jehal was taller than Onto, with blond hair, fairer skin and numerous freckles. He had an open expression and seemed younger of the two.

A long, thin, awkward girl. "Shola." She wore slim glasses, which she adjusted now. Her brown hair was tied in a thick, long braid, and she pressed her hands on her stomach to straighten the creases in her blouse.

"Lion." Last was a boy with flyaway light-brown hair and a grin that reminded me of Naruto.

Kiba snorted. "What kind of a name is Lion?"

Lion apparently took offense, and shouted back, "Shut your face! What kind of a name is Kiba?"

"It means 'Fang', you dork," Kiba growled.

"Well, mine is a great big cat from a dried-out grassland that eats everything else. So I win!"

Shola, beside him, put a hand on his shoulder and said something too quiet to hear.

Kiba was going to saying something insulting back, and Neji put a flat hand in front of his face to stop him. Neji said curtly, "I believe that we should train."

Onto agreed, and we all began to consider the logistics of training with eight people, two groups of four that had no ties of trust or familiarity. There was simply no way to fit the training exercises learned for a tightly-bonded group of three to this situation.

I suggested, "Perhaps two subgroups, both consisting of two Konoha and two Suna nin."

Neji shrugged. Onto nodded, and said, "Jehal and I will be on a team. Our expertise is physical attacks and genjutsu."

Neji said, "Lee and I are skilled in speed, physical attacks, and detection." He caught himself and added the condition, "Together."

I said, "Kiba and I specialize more specifically in tracking and detection."

Lion said, "Physical attacks."

Shola, the woman, said, "…Physical attacks, mostly…"

I suggested, "Perhaps the groups should be: Neji, Lee, Onto-kun, and Jehal-kun; Shola-san, Lion-kun, and us." Kiba either grinned or bared his fangs.

Neji didn't pass his judgment this time, and Onto said, "Very well." The other four came together and moved away, while Lion and Shola approached us.

Shola bowed low. Her voice was reedy, but sure, as she said, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Shola."

Lion waved his hand impatiently. "Yeah, we've been introduced, La, try to control yourself."

Shola sighed. "Right. I'm sorry."

Kiba smiled sincerely. "I'm Kiba. It's nice to meet you, Shola-chan. And," he snorted and dropped all honorifics, "_Lion_."

Shola flinched, and tugged on the braid that wound down to her waist. "It's a nickname," she said, "from when we were kids. I couldn't pronounce Lao-Wen right-"

Lion rounded on her and snarled. She stopped talking.

I touched Kiba's arm with my elbow and he ran his hands through his hair. He was angry and controlling himself. In a very, very calm voice, he added, "Well, let's get down to work."

Lion said grudgingly, "Yeah, okay."

Shola smiled with relief, and said softly, "If that's okay with you, Shino-san."

Lion's head whipped around to stare at her, as though betrayed. Kiba's smile didn't flinch, but his head tilted to the side as he examined her more closely.

I stared at her a moment and said, "It is acceptable."

It was going to be a long four weeks.

* * *

I sat on the bed in my room, a leather cloth over one knee and a pile of kunai to my left side. I lifted one and carefully ran a hard, grooved stone over first one blade, then the other. 

My door dissolved. Without looking up, I said, "Good evening, Kiba."

He said, "Sharpening your weapons? Are you really _that_ bored?"

I said, "It is important to be prepared."

"Right, okay," he smiled happily. "And already ready for bed?"

I only then noticed that the lights had barely begun to fade. I looked up. "You're prepared for bed, as well."

He shrugged, wearing a loose white cotton undershirt and short shorts. "Well, yeah, but considering how rare it is to see you in pajamas, I've been doing that a lot lately."

"You insist on entering my room unexpectedly," I reminded him.

Again, he shrugged, and actually came inside. The door rebuilt behind him. "I'm not tired, and there's nothing to do." He gathered my weapons and set them on the table in the center of the room, then firmly took the tool from my home and the leather from over my knee. He scolded, "And I mean _fun_ things."

I shrugged. "I can't help you."

He sat at the foot of my bed, and I moved to the head. He said, "Just talking's fine. All Akamaru ever talks about is the smells from the day and how awesome all of our tactics are. He's better for playing, not talking." Even as he spoke about his childhood friend, a warm, sanguine grin spread across his face.

I said, "So I am here for talking."

He cleared his throat, getting down to business. "Okay, so it's been a week already and I'm thinking that Lion's a lot like Naruto."

"I have also drawn that connection," I said patiently. I did not say that it had been a week before.

He allowed an undercurrent of disgust to sidle into his tone. "I just can't stand how he treats Shola. I mean, she's a really nice chick, but he's just a jackass to her. He doesn't allow her…to _speak_, practically. I get it if they grew up together and he was always the leader, really. But he doesn't have a monopoly on her."

I speculated, "Perhaps he's jealous of you."

He snorted through his nose. "Just to be clear, I've been a perfect gentleman to her. If he's jealous of anyone, it's _you_."

I blinked. "Why?"

He laughed. "Never mind. It's none of my business." He yawned, and said groggily, "Blegh. And _Gaara_. What's he been doing?"

"He has been observing our training," I said.

"I even asked him about it once, can you believe that? I asked him why he was there if the negotiations were already going on. He said that they started at noon – this was at, like, ten. Why did I think that the negotiations started earlier? And I said that I had just been guessing, and he left it at that."

I said, "The first day, Temari told Shikamaru to meet at nine, did she not?"

Kiba nodded. "I get the whole we-fought-once-so-now-we-hate-each-other thing, but seriously, telling him the wrong time was just mean."

I stared his naïveté in the eyes and did not flinch. I said studiously, "Gaara must simply dislike people yelling."

Kiba shrugged, and huffed, "Maybe he doesn't like people yelling at his sister? Because, you know, he's good at tuning things out when they're directed at him. He grew up like that."

I mused, "He is much like Naruto in that respect."

Kiba's expression clouded and he muttered irritably. "And _Naruto_ came out of a bad place with grace and that damn repressive smile of his! What the hell piss-ass poor thing happened to Lion to give him the right to terrorize Shola?"

"Perhaps you should confront him about it?"

He snorted. "I'd just make an enemy, and he'd start yelling a lot more and trying to show off. Shola would be troubled by it, too."

"We must have trust and teamwork," I reminded him, feeling like Kurenai.

He rolled his eyes. "I can work with him just fine, I just have to treat him like Naruto and ignore the bits about Shola. Maybe if _you_ said something, it would be better, but you wouldn't anyway and probably didn't really notice."

I shrugged, which I had discovered to be a humorous alternative to attempting to communicate my indifference. Kiba became frustrated when I simply remained silent, also.

Kiba was watching me, and smiled. "Do that again."

I blinked. "Do what?"

"Shrug like that." He rolled his body forward until his was on his hands and needs, facing me.

I shrugged again, mildly curious about his interest.

Kiba's fingers ran from my bellybutton to my sternum. "Okay, that's just cool. Your shoulders go up, and your skin all shifts and pulls up and stretches over your muscles and stuff…" He dropped his hand, and his mild, sincerely pleased smile spread across his face. "Itari was right, it's really hot." The smile slipped. "But I'm sure that Mira's told you already."

He seemed to grow increasingly disappointed. I said, "She prefers to have sex without light."

He snickered. "Embarrassed much?"

I added, "I have not tongue-battled her if I could help it."

He stared at me, shocked. "Really? What if she wants to make out?"

"There are the…" I struggled for the correct slang word, but I did not know it. I put my hand at the back of his head and pulled him forward, intending to demonstrate instead.

He strained against me until I stopped, and he carefully snaked his hand up between us to pull off my glasses, setting them on the table beside the bed. He stared at me, specifically my eyes, for a moment, and then cursed. "The light's fading. That's too bad." He leaned forward, and now we kissed.

It was light, and short. I pulled back, and said, finishing my sentence from before, "There are _those_, and there is sex. And the foreplay, which was explained to me by Itari. Mira becomes embarrassed about that, though."

He leaned his forehead against mine and laughed for several moments, but was very careful to keep his eyes open. "You're insane, you know that? Everything you say is so…innocent."

I didn't know if that was good or bad – I had a mental disease? – so I tilted my head back until we kissed again.

He leaned into me, and my back fit flush against the wall. We hadn't been completely alone like this for a long time. His tongue touched my lips, and I opened them.

I remembered tongue-battling. This was more careful and familiar than before, though, and Kiba straightened up merrily. "Wow, you really _haven't_ gotten any better. You weren't kidding."

"Am I inferior?" I asked.

He hurried to say, "Oh, no, it's fine. You just don't know what to do with your hands, right?"

I could not ignore an opportunity to improve. "Is there something specific to be done with the hands?"

"No, it's just that just the kissing doesn't get very far. So your hands…" he realized what he was saying, and flushed in the dimming light. "Um, your hands help to move things…along."

I stared at him. I had forgotten how uncomfortable he could become on the subject of sex. I asked, "Do you mean foreplay?"

He shifted uncomfortably, and then squeaked. Moving while sitting on my lap was noted as a bad idea. He forced out, "It's kind of between the… um… tongue-battling and the foreplay. Like, with…uh…"

"Kiba," I encouraged him, setting my hands on his waist.

He murmured quickly, without letting himself think, "Like with clothes on, and more rubbing. It's the foreplay to foreplay. _Goddamnit_ I need to teach you slang for this kind of thing."

I tried to analyze and consolidate this explanation. As part of my research, I reached out my hand and touched him.

He choked. "Nnnnngod don't just _do _that…"

Was kissing required first? I kissed him, and then touched him again.

"_Fuck._ Shino," he gasped out my name, "I think you're missing some big major concept here." There was only a vague impression of sight now, but I knew by the way that he shifted his weight that he was freeing one hand.

And then that hand was rubbing me and I was extremely surprised.

The hand disappeared. I became aware of the world again and Kiba giggled, "That… dripped sex. You just _moaned_. Did you hear how you just moaned?"

"It was sudden," I said simply. Retribution came in the form of my tickling his thin waist.

He made me stop by kissing me again. Just as I began to wonder if I should begin the 'foreplay to foreplay', he stopped and said carefully, "Just follow my lead, okay? Making out sort of needs to be at least a little bit spur-of-the-moment."

Was this the full meaning of 'making out'? It was certainly enjoyable. Every point of skin-to-skin contact seemed to burn, just as it had during my first experience with sex, but not in the experiences following.

Truthfully, I began to wonder if we were going to have sex, and asked Kiba if that was normal. He sounded as though he were blushing, and answered, "Making out sometimes leads to sex, but not always. More precisely, not _usually_. It's one of those things where it can stop without anyone being devirginized. Molested, yes, but not devirginized."

I accepted the explanation without pointing out that neither of us would be 'devirginized' – which wasn't a word. I could guess, following Kiba's innovative grammatical logic, at its meaning.

As time passed, a rhythm was set. It was much like sex, but, indeed, we were both still – mostly – dressed. And, as in during sex, the rhythm sped up steadily. Kiba quickly discovered that I repeated everything he did, and I began to suspect that he was attempting to show me everything he knew in one crash course. This led to the logical conclusion; orgasm.

Immediately afterward, Kiba seemed unable to speak to me. I sat against the wall, controlling my breathing. "That was somewhat different from sex."

He started to laugh in the total dark. "Yeah. Um, sorry for making a mess…"

"It is a necessary inconvenience," I said, dismissing his apology.

Kiba leaned his forehead against mine again. Very quietly, he whispered, "I knew it. You forgot."

"Forgot what?"

"Your own birthday," he laughed. "I was watching, and you didn't say anything about it – but that's not unusual for you. But you're always more wound up on your birthday, and more energetic. Like, you're happier. But not today."

"Is it my birthday?" I asked, surprised. I hadn't thought to compare dates for several weeks.

"Yes, Shino. Jeez, it's a pretty important thing."

"So I am now eighteen," I continued the thought. I considered Mira's birthday. Wasn't it before mine? "And I believe that Mira is nineteen."

He sighed. "You're so dumb when it comes to people."

No sense in regretting my inattention. I stood up, lifting Kiba up with me. "We should wash up."

He whined as I picked him up, but wrapped his arms and legs around me so that he wouldn't fall. "Fine. But, um…I don't really know how to ask, but…"

I asked, "Would you like to sleep in my room tonight?"

He said, "To, y'know, celebrated your birthday."

"Of course."

After we managed to wash ourselves, I returned to the bed, and then asked Kiba why he hesitated.

Slowly, bashfully, he said, "Me sleeping here…isn't like _that_. Okay?"

"I know."

He slid under the blankets next to me. The bed was very small, but both of us could fit if we were close to each other.

It was easier than normal to fall asleep.

* * *

One week before we were supposed to return to Konoha, all eight of us were called into the Kazekage's office. Shikamaru, Kankuro, and Temari were there, as well, next to the wall to our right. 

Gaara said, "You will be sent to join the Konoha forces."

We had all expected it. No one even blinked.

Temari took over, filling in details. "Tomorrow, the Suna ninjas will leave an hour after dawn. We've been in constant communication with Konoha, via runners bringing messages back and forth. They will be camped within a day's travel of Sunagakure by tomorrow night, where you will meet them. At that time, all of you will come under the jurisdiction of the Hokage, and follow her orders."

There was a release of tension in those of us from Konoha, but it was wound up again in the Suna shinobi. Onto asked, "When will we return?"

Temari smiled. "When she releases you, and your honorable service is done."

Kankuro said, "You guys've been training in two teams, right? You should tell Tsunade that. It'll make her happy, having two teams to do with what she will instead of one big one."

I asked, "Does this effectively complete our mission here?"

Temari nodded. "The battle could not be avoided. You'll just hang out with them until you can return home."

Shikamaru said, "It looks like it'll be a quick thing, anyway. One big push'll topple Kusa, and then we're back home in time for cloudwatching."

Shola asked, "So the war will be-"

Lion said, "La, don't say that word!"

Immediately following Lion, Kiba said merrily, "So the _war_ will be over and done with."

Temari shrugged. "Kusa's not even one of the top five most powerful hidden cities. They'll crumble against _two_ of the best."

I asked solemnly, "Why are they attacking us?"

Shikamaru said, "They're trying to invade and occupy a corner of Hi no Kuni, probably."

"And do they know that we have allied ourselves with you?" I continued.

Shikamaru smirked. "Nope. We'll take them by surprise."

Neji had already guessed my direction. He asked, "What if they have allied themselves with someone else, as well?"

Temari answered, "The combined forces will be huge. Anyone and their grandma could fight alongside Kusa and we'd still win."

Lee announced, "We Shall Defeat the Enemy without Pause! We Stand to Defend Freedom, Beauty, Truth, and Love!"

Neji smiled before he could stop himself. Onto and Jehal's eyes met, but neither laughed.

Gaara's serious green eyes saw all of them and clouded over.

Temari cut in carefully. "So, you're dismissed. Right, Gaa – Kazekage-sama? Except Lee-san, because the Kazekage needs to tell him something." She stared at her bother pointedly, and emphasized, "Something clear, and concise, and _out loud_. Don't you need to do that, Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara glared at her. He was not three years old, his expression communicated, if he was at all comparable to Jata. He nodded.

We left as quickly as was respectable, Temari and Kankuro taking hold of Neji's arms to firmly guide him out the door.

No one spoke. Lion went to the stairwell, and Shola hurried after him. Onto and Jehal stayed long enough to say that they would prepare for travel the next day.

When they were gone, Neji seethed, "You're complicit in this!"

Temari raised her eyebrows with her ear against the door. "In what?" Kankuro was nonchalantly leaning in next to her.

"In this…blatant disregard for decorum! You are…" he hissed, "_Both_ of you are playing matchmaker!"

Temari focused on eavesdropping. "There's nothing wrong with wanting our brother to be happy. If that requires Lee, so be it. He's a nice kid, if a bit single-minded."

Neji said indignantly, "It's socially unacceptable to auction off someone that is involved with someone else!"

Temari leveled her gaze at him coolly. "And who exactly claims him, Neji-san? Nara over there?"

Hearing his name, Shikamaru turned away from looking at the sky through the window and made a casual, if rude, hand gesture.

Neji's face had settled into a mask of fury. "You don't know anything."

Kankuro defended his younger sister. "Hey, if that guy in green can walk around spoutin' things like that all day, then he can definitely be trusted with this kinda decision. Keep your pride tucked."

Neji looked as though he was prepared to reduce their family tree to a stump.

The heavy wooden door opened outwards, pushing the siblings out of its way with ease. Lee came walking out, frowning in thought, and closed the door behind him. He drifted through our group, passing Neji last.

Neji spun around to speak to him. "Lee, what…what happened?"

Lee smiled, with a lucid, ironic quirk that none of us had ever seen before. He said, "I'm going to get ready to leave, Neji. And then I'll sleep." The smile disappeared and he said without inflection, "I'll need to Conserve Energy for the Battle Ahead, won't I?"

Neji lifted his arm as though to touch his best friend with his hand. Lee didn't appear to move, but he was suddenly an inch out of Neji's reach. Neji let his arm drop again, and said formally, "Until tomorrow, then."

Lee waved, and then flickered and disappeared.

Neji turned back to us for a moment, his blank eyes deeply pained. He spat, "Is there anything wrong in making _that_ out of someone as vigorous as _Lee_?"

Temari turned her eyes away. Kankuro scowled.

Receiving no tangible response, Neji stalked down the stairs.

Kiba said sadly, "This isn't going to go well. Any of this. Right?"

Shikamaru came away from the window and mumbled, "Right."

Temari shifted on her feet. "Screw this, I need a drink."

"Me too," Shikamaru echoed. Kankuro, who went out to a party almost every night, didn't invited himself, and they two left together.

Kiba took my sleeve. "Let's go back to the hotel. I definitely need to pack; my stuff's spread from one corner of my room to the next."

I followed him. There was a battle for which to plan.

* * *

I'm so sorry! The entire NejiLee structure - one of the foundations of the story - is crumbling beneath my feet! But knowledge of the end of their turmoil has given me surcease of sorrow... And Gaara is just plain the awesomest (behind Jata, Shino, Kiba, and Itari because she paid me). 

And... (fangirlism) ShinoKiba making out goodness!

I really enjoy the Lion/Shola dynamic. Lion's a meanie, but Shola sticks around... and the 'why' of the whole thing shall be explored next chapter. (You know, I only named him Lion because I though it would be cool. Then my brother said it was a stupid name and I made it a nickname. So there, Kyle.) And I'm sure you'll all enjoy finding out how they fight (like Lee has the Lotus thing and Sasuke has that chidori fetish).

For the record, Onto and Jehal are not in love, dating, or attracted to each other in any way. (I know, gasp). They're just friends. If I made it seem like there was anything there, I'm sorry, it was a reflex.


	22. However

Blindsided: to take somebody unawares suddenly, with detrimental results.

* * *

Before I was fully awake, I knew three things: I was in a standard-issue tent; Kiba was next to me; and it was dawn.

We were in the Konoha army's camp. Only three days ago, I had awoken in Sunagakure and left with all of the others to come here.

I shook Kiba's shoulder very softly. His right hand grabbed my wrist and began to tighten, but he recognized my scent before he broke any bones. He sat up with a yawn. "Sorry. Dawn, right?" He frowned. "On the day of the battle."

I said, "That is correct."

He groggily stared down the soft light coming in from the front flap of the tent. "Damn it," he said optimistically, and climbed out into the fresh air.

The camp was active, even this early. There was a circle of ten tents centered around a fire, where breakfast had already been prepared. Whoever had been the first up had started water over a fire, and it had been tended intermittently by whoever passed by. Now, it was hot enough to boil, and a woman was serving bowls of gruel-like oatmeal. Kiba and I took two bowls, and thanked her before she left the camp.

Each group of shinobi had its orders, detailing when and where and how to move forward. A fraction of the whole moved forward every twenty minutes, so that the front line was not the _only_ line.

We were set to leave with Lion and Shola in thirty minutes, toward the north from our camp.

Kiba and Akamaru rushed through their bowls, and then waited impatiently as I slowly and carefully chewed every bite. Lion and Shola caught up with us as I finished, and we all began to make our way to the edge of the Konoha camp.

As we waited, standing in the early morning chill of spring, Lion said, "We're gonna do this right. Go in, kick a helluva lot of ass, get medals, and then get back to Suna."

Kiba shrugged. "Don't get full of yourself, _Lao-Wen_." He called Lion by his actual name only when he wanted to enrage him. "We're just soldiers here. It doesn't matter about medals, just living through this or taking out as many as you can when you go."

Lion spat on the ground. "My fucking name is Lion, FangBoy."

"Shino-san, you shouldn't let them start a fight again," Shola whispered to me. Louder, she explained, "You know not to tease him, Kiba-kun. You know that it's a childhood nickname…"

"It's none of his business, La," Lion said, dismissing the subject.

Kiba asked, "Actually, I was wondering, what is your relationship, you two?"

Lion spun around to glare at him.

Shola answered, "We're just fri-"

"_Shut up, La_," Lion snapped.

She flinched, but wanted to be clear. "We've just known each other forever, nothing is-"

Three things happened in quick succession; Lion slapped Shola, Kiba punched Lion, and I caught Shola's shoulders before she fell backwards.

Lion hit the ground heavily, swearing and clutching the side of his head.

Shola hadn't made a sound, but her braid had whipped around over her right shoulder and her cheek was swollen and red.

Kiba simply looked as though he was disappointed that he hadn't been holding a weapon. "_Never, ever_ hit a chick around me again, you stupid, selfish, _son_ of a _bitch_."

Shola sighed, "Don't worry, Kiba-kun. And thank you, Shino-san." She straightened, and I lowered my hands.

I asked, "Would you like some salve to heal your cheek?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but Lion stood up and growled furiously, "No! She's fine, alright? Don't interfere!"

He glared at us, daring anyone to breathe. We all stood in a tense silence until a shrill whistle sounded. We began to walk, obeying the signal.

Five minutes later, as we ran through the trees on the lookout for danger, Lion said grudgingly, "La and I aren't just friends. We're in love. Right, La?"

Shola looked at him with hastily-disguised joy. "Yes, Lion!"

Kiba, to my right, snorted, and didn't comment. Akamaru was on this left, the farthest out. To my left was Shola, and Lion was beyond her. Kiba and Lion were exhibiting worrying body language toward one another.

Twenty minutes into the battle, scouts that I had sent ahead alerted me of an ambush waiting ahead. I stopped, touching Shola's arm to warn her and keep her quiet. Kiba's nose twitched and he stopped suddenly, falling forward on the branch so far that he had to use his chakra to hold himself onto the bark.

Akamaru dug his claws into the bark and stopped one branch distant from us. Lion saw us stop, and slowed down before backtracking.

I was still receiving information from the scout that had reported. In a whisper, I related, "Ninja ahead. Five… _Six_ in a clearing. One hundred meters."

Kiba frowned. "Ambush. Do they know we're here?"

I heard vicariously, _'Ssh. Fucking be quiet. The bastards stopped.'_ "Yes."

Lion grinned, and said, "Let's do it."

We continued more slowly. As we went, Shola absently took the tie out of her hair and unwound the long braid, surrounding herself with frizzy brown hair.

This was the first fight of the battle.

We stopped at the same time, on guard, facing the six Kusa ninjas. Lion was chuckling slowly, in a low, threatening monotone. Shola pushed her glasses up her nose and nodded to herself.

They attacked first. In a flash, they had scattered. It was simple enough to track them – they were being sloppy with their chakra controls, streaking across the senses like torches.

Lion roared, and a sandstorm whistled into life. Kiba and his current look-alike Akamaru ducked into their jackets to protect their eyes; the kikai in mine didn't allow foreign objects in.

Shola beamed, and held her arms straight out to the side, revealing a flurry of glass and hollow chimes.

We all knew what was going to happen next; Kiba, Akamaru, and I were useless in Lion's storm, and would have to wait until he was disabled before attacking.

Shola, however, utilized the blowing sand. The static as it was whipped along her glass was incomprehensible; she was becoming a human lightening bolt. She held her twisted battle-grin as her hair frizzed and lifted and stood straight in every direction. She shouted, "Lion! I'm ready!"

The vague shape that was Lion dropped it arms and the sandstorm died. Visibility rocketed from zero to one hundred, and the sand-encrusted figures bent double for shelter were obvious targets.

Shola released her lightening, and half their number fell. She laughed with excitement that she had been useful.

Lion attacked the nin closest to him. There were yells, and curses, and then the Kusa shinobi stopped moving and Lion was limping back toward us. He shouted, "The _fucking_ bastard cut the _fucking_ tendons in my shoulders. I need a medic, I can't move my arms."

Kiba asked, "Are you hurt any other way?"

Lion didn't answer him. He shouted, "They're two more. Where did they go?"

I said, "I can sense one directly to our left, but the other is masking his chakra."

Kiba blinked in surprise. "They were hopping all around like fairies! I thought they didn't know _how_ to mask their chakra?"

I shook my head. "It was a plan. Be on your guard."

And then the one to my right appeared in a headlong attack aimed at Shola. I ran forward and killed him with a tactful joint-twist. Now that only left the one-

The one who had just shoved a kunai between Shola's twelfth and thirteenth vertebrae.

Kiba was not a half a second behind him. He mechanically bit down on the nin's neck and tore.

Shola flew forward with the force of the blow dealt to her, a mildly accepting expression surfacing on her face. Lion was close to her, and shot forward, forgetting that he could do nothing to catch her. She pitched forward onto the grass, settling slowly.

With a wound to her back, there was no way that her legs would move again, let alone the consequences of any damage beyond that. And, looking at her, it was clear that there was a great deal of damage.

The six ninja lay dead on the far side of the clearing. Kiba and I carried Shola carefully from the ground to a soft pile of leaves that would become her deathbed.

Lion couldn't help us, because he couldn't move his arms. He barely managed to follow us, staggering painfully.

He knelt beside his friend, and said with a quiet laugh, "Hey, La. Welcome to the war, huh?"

She said, with a small gurgle, "I'm sorry, Lao-Wen..."

"Shut up," he snapped immediately. When she winced, he softened. "My bad. That was a reflex. It's not Lao-Wen, right? It's Lion."

She smiled. "Li…on. Yes, that's what it is." She was beginning to cry, making her loose hair clump together. "It always made me happy-" she coughed, letting a drop of red blood slide down from the corner of her mouth.

"What _makes_ you happy, La?" Lion asked, an edge of desperation cutting savagely into the present tense.

Kiba and I were silent, feeling like intruders. No one said that Shola shouldn't be talking. It would aggravate her injuries.

Shola tried again, her eyes now glittering with happiness. "You always defended that name, Lion. _My_ name for you. So, even when you were short-tempered, you were still..." she had to force herself to suck in a deep breath, "...thinking of me. At least, that's what I told myself..."

Lion was starting to weep, too. "La, of course I was thinking of you. I told you when you made jounin that I loved you."

"I know, Lion. I made sure that we were," a short cough, "the perfect team…"

Lion hurried to explain her thought. "My sand, in the wind…that's what creates your electricity. You made it so we'd be inseparable, right? You can't fight without me…"

"But you still didn't _act_ like you loved me. Lion." She sighed, and a weak hand grasped his useless one. "My Lion."

"I do love you," he promised. "I always will."

"And I love you. Forever…" She was starting to fade. All of use had seen people die before; when their eyes can't focus on you any longer, that person is dying.

We all knew. We all watched, without turning away, because sacrificing so much deserved honor and respect.

"Yes." Lion was sobbing shamelessly. "La…please, please don't do this…"

Shola didn't answer.

"Shola!" Lion called frantically.

The clearing echoed her name back, a final salute. Far away, the sounds of battle hailed her.

Lion didn't repeat himself. He sat back, and her limp hand let his go.

Kiba was leaning against me heavily. He said, "Would you like us to bury her, Lion? Or is someone waiting for her in Suna?"

Lion didn't look away from her. She had died with a smile on her face. Her glasses were shattered.

Kiba tried to get his attention without touching him. "Lion?"

Lion's wide eyes turned to us. Wonderingly, as though he had made a new discovery, he said, "She always needed me for _everything_. If I wasn't there, she wouldn't ever stand up for herself. She just let people walk all over her."

We let him talk, listening to Shola's eulogy.

He turned his eyes back to her. "When we were thirteen, one of our teachers raped her. For a couple of days after, she wouldn't tell me what was wrong, and I tried to touch her and she screamed – and I slapped her to make her stop. She told me about the guy, and I grabbed a kunai and didn't stop running until that fucking bastard was bleeding all over me."

He bent double until he fell to his side, beside her. His arms were motionless. He whispered, "That time… That was the first time I hit her in my whole life. And today was the second. My God, is that what we came back to? I had to keep forcing her to take care of herself so much that it came back to _that time_. She must've felt like I raped her every day of her life. For _years_."

Kiba said softly, "She loved you. She wouldn't have blamed you for any of this."

"Fuck you!" Lion spat. "What the fuck do you think you know about love, Kiba? How could you possibly know how this feels?"

The pool of blood underneath both of the Suna ninjas was growing, when it should have been drying out.

Kiba murmured, "I can imagine. We've all lost people we loved."

"Not people like Shola! Wait until you've lost someone as perfect as Shola, and then you'll know!"

"The…the burial. Do you want us to bury Shola here, Lion?" Kiba choked on his own words. I didn't look down at him, because a battlefield was not a place with which to associate Kiba weeping.

Lion looked away again. "Yeah, sure, bury her here." A beat of silence. "And bury me with her. That guy got me good."

I said gravely, "You're wounded more seriously than you led us to believe."

He made a face. "It feels like a kidney. I'll be fine for about five minutes more, probably." He paused, and panted, and said, "Can I ask you to not be here when I go? I just want some time…alone. With her."

Those were the last words that we exchanged with him. Kiba and I left the clearing, going through the trees until we were fifty meters away.

Kiba sat against the trunk of the tree where we stopped. "I hate our job, sometimes."

I remained standing, looking at him through my dark glasses. "This is the life we all have chosen, Kiba."

He became belligerent. "They gave us classes in academy. About how to deal with the death of a friend. Do you remember those? 'Just remember that this is the life your colleagues have chosen.'"

I stood silently, watching him. A year into our training as genins, a girl that Kiba had been friendly with had died during her mission. I knew how he grieved.

He hissed, "Is everything about you learned by rote?"

I said, "All of this is in the service of our country."

"Yeah, _our country_. If we weren't out here dying, a bunch of really good, innocent people would die, instead." He glared at me. "You know what, Shino? A bunch of really good, innocent people are already dying. How many lives are Shola and Lion saving? How many people is their entire fucked-up story going to balance out to?"

He had hit his stride. "Because it's not just that they're dying, oh no. The whole system screws you up. Do you think that normal children get bedtime stories with morals that teach you to be sure to hit the right blood vessel? Wouldn't want the enemy to bleed out too slowly, kids, because then he might kill you back!"

He was sullenly quiet for a few seconds before he remembered not to let himself think. "'What the fuck do I know about love,' he asks. Oh, I know. I fucking_ know_, alright? Shino, how would you feel if Mira died?"

I blinked, and didn't know how to answer.

He looked at me for a moment, and asked instead, "What would Mira do if _you_ died?"

"She would most likely be distraught," I answered after considering it.

He stared at me again. Finally, more curiously, he asked, "What would you do if _I_ died, Shino?"

I remembered the jounin exams from months before. For a moment, I had been sure that Kiba was going to die. That sensation of certainty overtook me, and I pressed a hand over my heart. I didn't know how to answer again.

Kiba looked away. "It's been long enough. Come on, we need to bury Shola and Lion. Together."

* * *

After Lion and Shola were buried, we couldn't go back to camp and we could not stay as a two-person team. It was too dangerous. So, we wandered – mostly arbitrarily – without looking for trouble but still determined not to let the Enemy From Kusa win out and force us back.

We avoided the enemy when we could, but circumvention is sometimes not viable and confrontations followed. The most we suffered from was a new shallow scar across Kiba's lower back.

Finally, Akamaru whimpered quietly and Kiba said, "We smell someone familiar. They're definitely from Konoha, at least…it'll get clearer if we go closer."

They waited for my judgment, and I said, "We must find a group to secure strength in numbers."

Kiba laughed, and, as Akamaru led the way, said, "I can see why Shola elected you the leader."

I blinked. "Did she?"

He winked. "Come on, you were all commanding from the start." His smile became determined. "_There_ was a girl with a head for personalities."

I nodded. "She and Lion were well-matched, after all."

Now he sighed, and asked, "Do you really think that?" He corrected himself, "Do you think that, given enough time, they would have worked everything out?"

I didn't know either way. "Yes, Kiba. They would have been happy in the end."

He considered this, and then chuckled to himself. "Definitely." His expression changed, and he reported, "The guys we're following…it's Neji and all them."

"How fortuitous," I said. "A group of six will certainly work out better."

* * *

When we found them, all four were bloodstained and dirty. Neji, immediately prepared to attack us, relaxed his throwing arm and his Byakugan technique. Lee smiled, and his personal glitters welcomed us. Onto and Jehal looked us over and shook their heads.

I said, "We were attacked, six to four. Shola and Lion were killed. We buried them, at Lion's request."

Neji nodded his understanding. "You will join with us." He hesitated, and added, "My chakra is low as it is."

Kiba stared at him. For proud Hyuuga Neji to admit a weakness meant that he was far worse off than he claimed.

Lee said, "We Must Continue to Rid the World of Evil Enemy Warriors of Youth!"

Onto, in his quiet, stately way, said, "We should hurry. The battle is starting to die down…we're running into fewer enemies."

We all started off. Promptly, Neji began to lag behind the rest. We walked with him to set a faster pace for him.

Kiba asked in a murmur, "Neji, what's up with Lee?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Neji said stiffly, staring straight ahead.

Kiba must have thought that he was being discreet. He glanced around deviously, drawing more attention, and said, "We know about the whole problem, Neji. We were all there when Lee came out of Gaara's office. What happened between you guys? He's pretty much back to normal, now…"

Neji hissed, "If you think that _that_ is Lee normally, you don't know the real him. The Fighting Spirit isn't behind his eyes." The reaction forced the veins around his eyes to bulge, even though he definitely didn't have enough chakra to initiate a full Byakugan for more than a few seconds.

Kiba blanched and nodded his agreement enthusiastically.

Neji calmed himself and glared at Lee's back as he led the group. "He won't talk to me seriously. I don't know what Gaara said to him in that godforsaken office, but I'm _not _going to lose my Lee to some Suna punk."

Kiba continued nodding and ignoring the fact that Neji had just called the Kazekage a 'punk'.

I asked, "Are you in love with Lee?"

Neji swallowed, and nodded.

No one, not Neji, Kiba, Onto, Jehal, or I, saw the two concealed ninja as they were poised to attack Neji and Kiba.

"Is Lee in love with you?" I asked, and regretted it forever.

Lee saw the attack coming. With his monstrous speed, he shot in front of Neji, blocking the Hyuuga from the katana that would have pierced his heart.

I saw this, saw the other shinobi threaten Kiba, and pulled Kiba's jacket backwards until he was out of harm's way. Akamaru took care of him on instinct alone.

Neji wasn't moving.

Lee had punched the enemy in the chest, obviously shattering the sternum and collapsing any vital organ in his path. The enemy was not going to survive.

He did, however, have enough strength to pull his katana free, angling up through Lee's heart and lungs and exiting his body through the right shoulder.

Lee slumped backward, against Neji. He looked as though he were going to fall himself, but he steadied and got a better grip of Lee. We all watched silently as Neji sank to his knees. With every movement from the Hyuuga, Lee's disconnected right shoulder slipped and slid against the body it had been attached to.

Kiba stepped forward and covered Neji's eyes, trying to stop him from seeing his Lee like this. I saw Neji use the last of his chakra to use the Byakugan evil eye. He saw past Kiba's hand, and imprinted this scene forever in his mind.

Lee was dead.

Drained, Neji turned away and retched before he lost consciousness.

* * *

We arrived back at camp to see chaos. Our immediate assumption was an attack, but Shizune hurried past us and said, "The Hokage has gotten news from Konoha. It's under attack by another army! We need to break camp and leave as quickly as possible!"

Onto and Jehal shifted uncomfortably. "Sempai, we're Suna. Are we coming with you?"

Shizune was distracted, and Onto had to repeat the question before she answered, "No, no, leave whenever you want. Your service is complete."

They both sighed thankfully, and turned to us. It was understood; they were comrades, but they were not Konoha. They did not owe us this. We all bowed respectfully, and they were gone.

Neji was balanced on Akamaru's back, and I was filthy, and Kiba suppressed a yawn beside me. I said, "We won't be leaving until morning. We should sleep until then."

Kiba leaned against me, and said sadly, "I'll drink to that."

We went to our tents after leaving Neji with a medic.

Somewhere, under soft soil, lay Shola, Lion, and Lee.

* * *

I'm sorry it's so late! I'm so, so, so sorry! You can see why I didn't want to write the end, though... (I defile His name by thinking it...)

I had planned on killing (that person) for a very long time - it came up in the brainstorming phase, before I wrote the first chapter. But then I had to give (that person) a reason for living, and that reason was Neji. And... you'll find out what Gaara said to (that person) in the office someday, when Neji and Gaara begin speaking again.

And now, I must kill myself... I'm sorry, Adi, He was my second favorite, too...! ...And I lied about killing Him...


	23. The

I am so, so sorry for how long this took! I couldn't get Mira to behave correctly (still don't think she's perfect) and Neji kept chicking out on me and the Jata scene... well. The Jata scene had to be perfect.

Just... read first, and then you can kill me.

...I'm sorry again for Lee.

* * *

By the time the army made it back to Konoha, the attackers had already been repelled. One hundred active ninja had been ordered to remain, and that was normal; the true saviors had been those older and younger, retired jounins as well as genins and academy students too young to come to the battle. 

Umino Iruka, our teacher from the academy so many years before, had been the one to organize operations and begin repairing the worst of the damage even before the main army had returned. He had been relieved of his duties by Tsunade herself, and now was helping the rest of the soldiers clear out the major streets so that business might be restored quickly.

Kiba smelled him and chased him down, demanding thoughtlessly, "Was it Kusa? Were they the ones that did this?"

Iruka was a pleasant man of about thirty, with tanned skin and a high brown ponytail. He had a good disposition for a teacher - patient, but an authoritarian when provoked. None of us knew how he had gotten his wide, distinctive scar, which crossed from cheek to cheek straight across his nose. He scratched this scar with worry before answering. "...No, Kiba-kun, I don't believe it was. Tell me, did you see Naruto? He went to the battle. I haven't seen him yet."

"We have not, Iruka-sensei," I said, naming him a teacher out of a deeply ingrained habit. "The injured went immediately to the hospital, though. Have you tried there?"

"Ah... no," Iruka sighed. We all knew that he and Naruto were the closest thing to family that either had. He smiled hopefully. "I just can't imagine Naruto as invalid."

Kiba shift impatiently. "Who did it?"

Iruka was not listening to him. "I just hope that nothing too bad happened."

I asked, "Was Kakashi-san at the battle, as well?"

Iruka shrugged, and chuckled. "He was, but I'm not worried about him. He's a jounin. He refuses to die."

There was a flicker, and all three of us tensed. A slow, amused voice said, "Maa, Iruka-chan, that's heartless. Why can't you say more cutely? Like, 'Kakashi-sama couldn't leave me alone!'"

Iruka closed his eyes, allowed himself a moment of relief, and then turned to the silver-haired man behind him and said coldly, "I'm not going to tell you again - I am _not_ a woman."

"I have first-hand knowledge of that," Kakashi leered. Hatake Kakashi was taller than Iruka, and wore a mask from nose to chin. His Konoha-leaf hitai-ate was tied lopsided, completely hiding his left eyes. It made his hair stick out to the left untidily. He gave the impression of a hurt look with only his visible eyes and two ears. "Iruka, aren't you happy to see me alive and well?"

Iruka stubbornly turned back to us. "You are a jounin - I said so before. You won't die."

Kakashi surreptitiously pulled out an infamous orange book. He was well known for reading some of the more explicit materials out there. He said blandly, "You know that Naruto-kun is also a jounin, don't you?"

Iruka sighed, again. "You've been one longer. You're better at it."

Kakashi said, "Oh, by the way, lover of mine, I was supposed to give you a message. Naruto is in the hospital and says to stop worrying."

Iruka's expression went from anger to fear and he ran off. Kakashi turned to leave, waving absentmindedly and aimed in Iruka's general direction.

Neji, standing beside us like a ghost, said in a low voice, "I don't think that Tenten stayed in town..."

Kiba comforted him. "She's probably fine."

There was a small commotion approaching rapidly. It - she - broke through the crowd and cannoned into Neji. She looked up, and it was Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister. Her face was streaked with tears. When she would speak, she sobbed, "Nii-san, Nee-chan is... Hinata's hurt! You have to come!"

Neji's eyes widened. Hinata was hurt.

We all reacted at once, covering the distance in seconds with a flicker technique.

* * *

An angry Hyuuga was difficult to make wait. We forced our way through the administration within five minutes. 

Now we stood inside Hinata's white, inhuman room. There she lay, haggard and quietly weeping. Neji was sitting on the bed, talking with her in a low, strong voice. He was the only one of us who knew what had happened.

They finished talking. Hinata nodded, and Neji touched his forehead to hers before standing. Aloud, he said, "My wife tells me that Tenten... is also here. I'll be with her, if you want to find me." As he passed us, he clarified, "And the only reason I'm walking out of this door is because she wants to talk with you alone. Do not let _anything_ happen to her."

I didn't move, but Kiba nodded feverishly. Neji swallowed, steadied himself, and left.

There was silence. Hinata was paler than I had ever seen her before; she blended into the white bedding until the only evidence of her was her dark hair spread around her head.

After a while, Hinata's weak voice drifted to us; "When you all left, I was three weeks pregnant."

We were both at her side instantly. Kiba took her hand, and said, "Why didn't you tell... I mean, did you know?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm still young... and my..." she drifted off, but there was no point in being shy with us."My period isn't regular or anything. Three... even _seven_ weeks were...nothing. I didn't even... the thought hadn't even crossed my mind that I was..."

When she wound down, Kiba prompted, "What happened, Hinata?"

She whispered vacantly, "Seven weeks. I had been sick in the mornings... For only a couple days, though." Kiba squeezed her hand, and she focused. "I was in the village. Teaching. And one of Them hit me in the stomach, and there shouldn't have been so much blood and it was all coming from me..."

I asked, "Did you lose the baby?"

She flinched at the word, and nodded. Then, she tried to give us a wet smile. "You probably think I'm crazy. I didn't know that it existed, how can I be so sad?"

I leaned down solemnly, and let her wrap her arms around my neck and kiss my cheek. It was a familiar thing, and it made us both feel better. I said, "You think that you could have done more for your baby." I straightened again, on the far side of Kiba.

Hinata raised the hand that wasn't attached to Kiba and touched her forehead. "Maybe. Thank you, Onii-san. If I had known, I would never have done such a horrible thing as _fight_..."

Kiba hesitated. "Hinata, I have to ask..." He stopped, and took a deep breath. "Could it have been...Naruto's?"

She froze. After a terrified moment, she stuttered out, "W-we haven't... had s-sex. There's no way my firstborn could have blond hair and a weak Byakugan and avoid a family war..."

I told her, "Kakashi is here, also. We should find him. If you want to be alone."

Hinata frowned. "Naru-chan is hurt? I should go!"

Kiba said, "You're not going anywhere. He's probably fine, and trying to ransack the place for ramen. Iruka'll be with him. We can tell him to come up, if you like."

She relaxed slightly, and smiled almost genuinely. "I'll be fine to be alone, then. I'll wait, Nii-chan. Thank you both." She flushed, and added slowly, "I love you. Not... romantically, but..."

Kiba grinned and ruffled her hair. "Yeah, my little sister. I get it. I love you, too. And I'll give Akamaru the message."

I said, "I'm very sorry, Hinata, but I'm very glad that you're going to eventually be better."

She looked away. "Neji told me about Lee. I hope that he'll be better, too."

"Everyone recovers," Kiba assured her, and we left.

* * *

The next person we found was Neji, leaning against a wall in the crowded hallway. He refused to look at us, and only pointed to the door beside him. 

Tenten was on a bed inside, frowning. Gai, the teacher of the team made of Tenten, Neji, and Lee, was standing uncharacteristically still beside her.

Tenten saw us and waved. Slowly and carefully shaping words, she said, "Shi...no...-kun, Ki...ba...-kun, I'm...glad to see that you're not...hurt. Have seen Ne...ji an...ny...where?

I said, "No. Why?"

Gai said halfheartedly, "He Departed Quite Suddenly, with Barely a Word of Greeting."

Now, Kiba was the one to ask. "Why?"

Tenten focused her attention on Kiba as he spoke, and said just as carefully, "I told him that I'm deaf, and he left."

Kiba's eyes flew open. "How did you manage _that_?"

Tenten tried to follow his words, frowned, and turned to Gai. Gai said, "She was Valiantly Fighting the Warriors of Youth, and an Enemy Deployed a _Flash! Bang!_" When he said the last two words, Gai shook his hands for emphasis.

A flash-bang was a bomb that eliminated the senses of sight and hearing. If Tenten had been close enough to be deafened, she was lucky to have escaped with her eyesight, as well.

Tenten beamed. "The nurs...ses... say that my hear...ring might even come back!" She meant to be excited, but the words were slurred and much too loud. She kept smiling. "If you see Lee, will you send him in to see me?"

There was silent for two seconds. Kiba panicked, and stalked straight out of the room.

As they watched him go, I said, "You need to talk to Neji."

A white-faced Neji passed me on my way out. Kiba was against the wall in the hall, just where Neji had been. I stood with him, and we waited and listened.

Nothing happened. After a full minute, Neji came back out into the hall and said, "I need a pen and paper. I'll tell her, but I need those things. She can't follow lips too well, and there is nothing in Heaven or Earth that could make me sign it out to her."

Kiba nodded. "I'll get them. You stay here for a second." He was gone.

Neji leaned against the wall again, while I stood beside him. He no longer looked anxious, just tired. There was even more silence between us, in the crowded hallway full of voices. After a long time, Neji said in a forcibly calm tone, "Am I suddenly bad luck? First... Lee. And now Hinata and Tenten... pretty much everyone close to me was hurt." He focused on me with his pale eyes, and he smirked ironically. "I wonder if my uncle Hiashi was killed. I would be head of the clan, then. Or is that too much to hope for?"

"Someone would have mentioned it," I said.

"Right. So, that's a no." He leaned his head back, and chuckled sadly until Kiba came back with a pad of paper and pencil.

Then, he disappeared into Tenten's room to explain about Lee.

Soon enough, we heard crying, and left.

* * *

Naruto's room was easy to find, once we were looking for it. From down the hall, we could hear two men yelling 'dobe' and 'teme' at each other, along with a woman singing. 

Kiba finally relaxed and unclenched his fists. These were our friends, very alive by the sound of it. He grinned and observed, "It sounds like Sasuke and them are already visiting!"

We came to the doorway and stopped.

Naruto in a wheelchair and looking disgruntled. Most of his energy was being used alternately to try to stand and to insult Sasuke, who pushed him down. Sitting on a bed were a moderately pregnant and singing Itari and a calm Jata.

Kiba said, "Home sweet home."

Sasuke turned back to look at us. As he did, Naruto valiantly stood and raised his arm. A red-stained band of white gauze wound tightly around his chest at the solar plexus. "Hey, guys!"

Naruto's arm waved once, and then he winced. The arm dropped. His left hand clutched the stain on the right side of his chest. His knees buckled, and he started to fall.

One of Sasuke's arms wrapped around Naruto's waist, and the other settled on his shoulder. "Usurakontachi!" Sasuke hadn't called Naruto a complete dumbass for some time.

Naruto was breathing hard and leaning most of his weight on Sasuke. "Damn it, I'm fine! Let go!"

Sasuke grunted, pushed Naruto until he was standing upright, and let him go. "You'll fall, dobe."

"Will not!" Naruto shouted, winced, and fell.

Sasuke caught him around the waist again. "Told you so." Now he pushed Naruto down into the wheelchair, and they began the game again.

Itari had stopped singing in her clear, sweet voice, and was beaming at us. "Hi, Shino-kun and Kiba-kun!"

Kiba walked over. "Wow, look at you. How far along are you?"

Itari rubbed her swollen stomach. "About six months! More than halfway done!"

Jata reached one slim hand up and tugged on her own ear.

Itari translated, "I'm making the baby's ear right now."

Jata seemed to smile with paternal pride for a moment, but then it was gone.

Kiba turned to Sasuke and Naruto, who were still having an argument. "Oi, Uchiha, are you sure that this kid isn't Jata's?"

Sasuke glared. "That's my wife and child you're speaking of, Inuzuka. Tread carefully."

Kiba waved it off. "I thought you didn't care about anything but yourself!"

Sasuke pointedly ignored him and took out ninja wire to tie Naruto's wrists to the armrests of the chair.

Itari giggled. "No, I'm sure it's Sasuke's." Sasuke was still ignoring all of us. She whispered, "He just gets overprotective sometimes. He won't let anything happen to his family."

Sasuke's entire clan had been murdered before his eyes when he was eight. Murdered by his beloved elder brother, no less.

We knew why Sasuke was so protective of what family he could gather. Did Itari?

It wasn't our place to tell her.

Jata pointed at the men in the middle of the room.

Itari looked over there, as well. "Right, he's protective of Naruto, too. They're like brothers." When had Itari come to a first-name basis with Naruto? "He's really funny. I think Naruto and I are a lot alike!"

Sasuke and Naruto were arguing very loudly.

Kiba asked, "What exactly happened to Naruto?"

Itari lifted her long, black braid over her shoulder and fiddled with it. "He was stabbed in the ribs with a kunai. He'll be all right, though. He says that he heals quickly."

Kiba snorted. "Idiot. This is what you get for being kunai-ed, Naruto!"

Naruto made a hand gesture that was highly reminiscent of Shikamaru.

I said, "I apologize for missing your wedding."

Itari shrugged. "It was fine. I was five months along, and pretty fat. And Sakura's makeup was iffy. She kept crying. Nobody said anything."

Kiba sat down beside her and asked, "She hasn't… tried anything, has she?"

"Nope. She's been sort of quiet, though."

Kiba smiled. "Sakura's a nice girl. We went out a couple of years ago, you know." He frowned. "We broke up because she liked Sasuke more than me." A small laugh. "Pretty silly, when I think about it. We were only fourteen."

Itari smiled. "Now you're less hypocritical.

"I hope." Kiba nudged her shoulder with his. "Fingers crossed." He had kept his eyes on her, but now he glanced at me and grinned.

Itari was watching him intently. "Jata-chan, didn't you have something to tell Shino?"

I asked, "Is Jata-chan going to talk to me?"

Jata stood and too my wrist in a grip that didn't allow insubordination.

"Have fun!" Itari waved happily.

And so I was taken to a far corner of the room. Itari and Kiba were talking quickly, but I couldn't make out their words.

A tan kikai clawed its way out of my hand and took wing, intent on hearing more clearly.

Jata reached out and made a fist around it.

It died.

She watched me with interest. It reminded me of a cat.

"I understand. I will not eavesdrop."

She nodded. Of course, I wouldn't.

Silence. I asked, "Were you at the battle?"

She shook her head.

"Were you with Itari, here in town?"

A quirk of her lips.

"Where did you wait?"

She raised a hand and pointed to me.

Her mother would have been at my house, and we had protective seals. "You were at my house?"

Nod.

No more conversation. We stood in the local silence until Itari called and Jata led me back.

Sasuke and Naruto had degenerated into roc-paper-scissors over who had… the best insult, apparently. And whoever had the best insult would decide the status of the wheelchair's occupation.

Jounin-level ninjas and above had a reputation for lunacy. Thankfully, I was completely normal.

On the bed, Itari was watching me with bright, excited eyes. Her hand was resting comfortably over her stomach. "So… you had a nice vacation, Shino-kun?"

"It was a mission. We trained with two Suna ninjas –" Lion. Shola. Their story flickered through my mind and cut off my words.

Kiba said carefully, "We trained with Lion and Shola, who didn't make it through the battle, Itari-chan."

Itari nodded her understanding. "They are honored, then."

Sasuke was coughing – no, he was disguising laughter. An outraged Naruto demanded, "Best eleven out of twenty-three!"

Sasuke stopped laughing. "Retard. No. You lost ten times in a row. You're going to keep your ass in that chair."

"I don't wanna!" Naruto the jounin and feared 'monster' whined. "I wanna go to Ichiraku's with Iruka-sensei and get ramen, datte bayo!"

Sasuke smacked the side of his best friend's head with his palm. "He was here already. He knows that you're not supposed to leave for two days. He'd drag you back here even faster than _I_ would."

Naruto turned to Itari. "'Tari, Sasuke's being mean!"

Itari said patiently, "You should listen to your father."

"Sasuke…!" Naruto tried again. He was smacked. The arguing began all over again.

Itari said blithely, "I think we're going to make marvelous parents, don't you?"

Jata put her small hand over Itari's stomach and nodded with certainty.

The arguing got louder more quickly than the pattern dictated.

Itari said, "It's good to see Sasuke so alive with someone besides me. Don't you th–" but then she immediately cut herself off.

Sasuke and Naruto were kissing.

Naruto had jumped to his feet, and Sasuke had moved closer to keep him down, and Naruto had predictably fallen forward and now… they were kissing.

...And now they were tongue battling.

Kiba made a small sound of surprise.

Itari didn't make any noise, but the color drained out of her face.

Then, Jata flew off the bed and barreled into Sasuke. Sasuke hit the far wall with his shoulder. Naruto was shoved violently into the wheelchair.

Naruto was an idiot. He said, "Hey, what the hell?" and tried to stand.

Jata had long, thing senbon needles in her hands. She pinned Naruto's wrist to the armrest with one hand and let the point of a senbon hover over Naruto's hand, clearly threatening a different sort of pinning.

Naruto swallowed. "I'll stay in the chair-tebayo! Sorry!"

Sasuke was still against the wall, looking at the ground. Jata gave him a look that not only threatened but also _promised_ death later.

Itari hadn't moved. She said weakly, "I guess we should have been paying more attention to their argument, huh? It must have been a fun one."

Jata furiously stalked back to the bed, took her captain's hand in a carefully gentle grasp, and mostly dragged her out of the room. The door slammed shut behind them.

Naruto didn't try to get out of the wheelchair.

Kiba had both hands over his mouth.

Sasuke's head was lowered.

I watched them for a moment and then said, "We're going to leave now. Naruto." He flinched, and then looked up. "Hinata is having a difficult time. She's in the maternity ward, room three thirteen. Please visit her when you have time."

He seemed to be bursting with questions, but then he glanced at Sasuke and reigned himself in. "Right. I should be healed enough for that by tomorrow."

Kiba nearly hurt himself, fumbling with the doorknob.

* * *

When I came home, the large, heavy gates were closed and sealed from the inside. The outer wall had small nicks and marks from weapons. 

The battle had come right up to the walls.

I tested the boundary with my chakra, and relaxed. The protection jutsu that would be in place if the inhabitants were in danger was missing; someone had been inside to remove it.

I sent out my kikai, allowing them to swarm across the nameplate 'Aburame'. The door unbolted itself, recognizing an Aburame's chakra.

As my kikaichu returned, I saw a fleck of a different color in the mass and examined it more closely. It was a washed-out tan, and undeniably a kikai, but I could not understand it was doing amongst all the black.

And then I remembered. This was one of the three kikai that Mira had transferred to me on our wedding day. I focused and located one other within me, but the last was nowhere to be found. Had I accidentally employed it? Was it subsequently destroyed?

But that didn't matter. I was home.

I crossed the front path carefully, disarming traps as I went. No one had walked through here since the battle was finished, which meant that Father was well enough to have used his kikaichu from a distance to take down the protection...

My sandals crushed on the gravel and then the wooden walkway to the door. The door slid open and I stepped into the front hallway.

For a long, tense moment, there was silence. No air moved against my face. I remembered the hospital, and how so many had been injured.

Where was my family?

Baru leaned out of her kitchen. She smiled. "So the young master returns triumphant."

The tightness in my muscles disappeared, and I realized how sore I was - and had been since the battle. I said, "It's very nice to see you, Baru-san."

She winked. "Come now, you look as though I was Kami himself. Didn't you think that we'd be alright?"

I shrugged, but she probably couldn't tell since I was wrapped in my jacket. "Was Father injured?"

Baru leaned against the doorframe, one eyebrow raised. "The fool got tired out before anyone got closer to him. I've been feeding him his vegetable juice for hours. You know, top and bottom of the clock, right on the dot."

I asked, "Will you please make me some of your juice also, Baru-san? The battle was not long enough ago."

She smiled at my language and motioned into her kitchen with her chin. "I can get you a glass right now, if you like."

"I would prefer that."

She grinned. "...Unless you would like to check on your wife first, young master."

I blinked, and thought. "Was Mira in the fight at all?"

"No but the scuffle backed up right to ours walls. You saw."

"She isn't injured?" I asked.

Baru laughed and reassured me, "She's perfectly well. She's been a bit excitable, too, because it's almost _that time_ and the battle meant that you would be back soon."

I shifted uncomfortably. "I apologize. She shouldn't have been so candid-"

"Oh, I don't mind." She shrugged. "It makes me wish that Jata would start to talk like that. But you know how she is; she won't ever talk about such personal things."

I considered the propriety of my next question, but asked it anyway. "Does your daughter talk to you... often?"

"Of course. Speaks of our young master quite highly, in fact." She smiled fondly at me. "No one's ever beaten her at out-and-out combat before. I mean, besides Itari-chan. But we know how that went."

I did not. "How did it go?"

"Someone managed to fall in love," Baru almost sang. "But enough about that. Your juice first, and then your wife."

So I followed her into the kitchen. Kiba's words came back to me: Home, sweet home.

* * *

I learned from Baru that Mira was in Father's study. She refused to say why, though. 

I knocked on the edge of the screen, on the wooden frame. After the screen stopped rattling, I heard Mira's quiet, timid whisper; "Shibi-san, that's Baru-san, isn't it? You can tell through chakra..."

I did not feel Father reached his chakra out to me, and did not expect it. Father said, "It is not Baru."

Mira adopted a genuine tone of fear. "Is it another bad guy?"

'Bad guy'? The Enemy probably wasn't a 'bad' person. Why did she call the Enemy 'bad'?

Father had a terrifying iota of inflection in his voice - amusement. "If it were a," a small pause, "_'bad guy'_, I'm sure that we would already be under attack. I believe that it is your husband."

There was a happy gasp, and then she raced across the room ad the screen flew open. "Shino! You're alright!" Her arms were thrown around me, and I felt most of her weight - particularly her breasts - press into me.

Father was behind his desk, with a half-full glass of Baru's regenerative juice. Where it was visible, his skin was drawn and pale. I had never noticed silver hairs before. He asked, "Are you injured?"

Mira stood back quickly. I could relax my aching legs, since I didn't have to brace myself for her. "You're not, are you? I'm sorry!"

I said, "I have a few small scraps and bruises, but there was no lasting damage."

Mira hugged me again. "Good! Everything's been awful. I saw a man killed!"

"How close were you to the action?" I asked with surprise. As I looked over her shoulder, Father turned his head down to his work and took a small sip from his juice.

Mira said, "Nothing was too close, except one man came over the gate after Shibi-san had left. Baru-san and her daughter saved us."

Father looked up with blank interest. "Was Jata-san here?"

Mira nodded energetically. "She brought Itari-chan. You know, Uchiha Sasuke's wife. She's pregnant, and pretty far along, and her husband was at the battle." A hint of envy crept into her voice.

Father was silent a moment. How would he react? If he hadn't known, there was probably a reason. "So Jata-san was protecting her. Understood. I had not been aware."

I said, "We shall speak elsewhere. Please excuse us, Father."

I took Mira's hand and led her through the house to our bedroom. When we got through the door, I let her go and sat on the bed - the familiar dark blue cover, and the same soft bed. Mira had specifically requested it.

I began to unzip my jacket. "I am glad that you are safe, Mira."

Her hands closed over mine and finished bringing the zipper to the bottom of its track. She said, "I can't tell you how much I missed you. I had to watch Itari-chan and Sasuke-san be newlyweds, and you weren't here. Hinata-chan and I comforted each other. She's been ill for a few days, though."

As her hands ran over my shoulders and pushed my jacket off, I said, "She was pregnant. In the battle, she took a blow to the stomach and lost the baby."

Halfway through removing my shift, Mira paused. "That's horrible. Why didn't she tell me?"

"She didn't know." When my shirt was all the way off, I finally looked closely at Mira.

Her dark eyes were wide and bloodshot, and her lips could not stop trembling. Her long, straight hair was tied back and knotted carelessly. She gave the appearance of terror. She sighed, and said again, "That's horrible."

This didn't stop her from misplacing her loose pants and shirt. She sat on the bed and pulled my shoulder until I rolled over onto her. She said, "I love you, Shino."

I kissed her, and assumed that we were going to have sex. Her hands pushed my pants down, and I dutifully worked on her undergarments.

I remembered this. It had only been a month since the last time we had had sex, after all.

Since then, Kiba and I had been tongue battling often, and so much had changed that this seemed like a juvenile thing.

Mira made all of her old sounds, and convulsed as she always had. I felt certain that we even adopted the same rhythm as we had done on every previous occasion.

The battle had turned the world on its, yet Mira was no different.

Lee, Lion, and Shola were dead, a part of Hinata was broken, Naruto had been kunai-ed, Tenten was deaf, and Father had aged...

But Mira had not changed.


	24. Victim

Alrighty then. This chapter is doubly awesome, because I got my first two-hundredth review (...especially since that person went out of their way to make it extra special...) _and_ it puts me over the 100,000 word mark. That _is_ awesome. I've wanted to write a 100k-word story for a year and a half, and now I've done it!

So, to celebrate, this chapter marks a major turning point in at least one plot. (If you look at it as Kiba/Shino/Mira as one plot, Naruto/Hinata/Neji/Lee/Gaara as another... even though some of them are getting tangled up with each other...)

Everyone, thank you for reading this far! I've been writing this for about six months now, and I could never have gotten to this point without your support!

Read happily!

* * *

A ninja is never away from a hospital for long.

I sat in the front waiting room, looking critically at the ticking clock. Fifteen minutes, it said. I had been here for fifteen minutes with no explanation, waiting for Mira to come back through the door.

Sakura came through instead. She looked busy, but, before she disappeared again, she smiled. "Congratulations, Shino!"

I asked, "Why?"

She had already disappeared again.

What was the meaning of that small non-exchange?

Less than a minute later, Mira sprinted through the doors with an exuberant smile. "Shino, Shino! This is wonderful! It's finally happened!"

As she hugged me, I commented blandly, "As overjoyed as I may appear, it is in fact a ruse to hide underlying, acute confusion."

She stood back with a weird twist to her features. "Has _Kiba_ been teaching you _humor_?"

I said, "Trying and failing, according to him."

"It doesn't suit you."

"Noted." No further attempts at humor were to take place around Mira.

She remembered why she and I were excited. "Shino, you have to guess what's amazing!"

I had no idea. "Mira, I have no idea."

She pouted. "Fine then. You don't get to know."

"Very well. Shall we leave? Hospitals have certain memories bound to them, and mine are not pleasant. It seems that three weeks is the limit of my separation from it, for now." I had already turned toward the door.

Mira took my arm and walked with me. "Don't you want to know?"

We were outside before I answered. "You have already told me that I 'don't get to know'."

"As sweet as you are," she laughed, "you can't fool me. You're _dying_ to know."

She obviously knew better than I did. "Then you are correct."

"Ask nicely!" she prompted.

"Please tell me." That was going have to be good enough for her.

She jumped in front of me, suddenly serious, but repressing the smile that continually won out. "Shino, I was worried when _every month_ it didn't work, or something happened and you weren't even around. But lately I've been sick a lot, and I came to the doctor, and I didn't even let myself hope until..." She let it hang in the air for a moment, and then squealed, "Finally…I'm pregnant!"

I nodded. "That would explain the behavior of both you and Sakura."

She tugged on my hand. "It's great! Aren't you happy?"

"It's the best thing that has ever happened to me, Mira." Thinking it appropriate, I kissed her forehead. "Thank you for giving me a child."

Mira tilted her head up and kissed me. "Not yet. Now we have to wait for time to take its course."

I remembered Itari. "And you must make the ears."

She tilted her head. "I told you, humor doesn't suit you. I didn't even understand that one."

"I apologize. Would you like to have lunch somewhere in town, or at home?"

"I town, I think. And I'll have a lot. I'm eating for two now, you know!"

"Yes, I know." Technically, she would not get the hunger cravings until the end of the first three months, according to Itari. "Are you sure that you aren't nauseous now?"

"I'm fine! Let's go!" As we walked, she happily said, "You know, I'm sure that it happened the night you came back. It was right around that time that I could, anyway, and that night was _special_. I hope that our son was made on that special night. Don't you?"

"…Yes."

* * *

I walked through the Inuzuka clan holdings after lunch. Kiba had told me of a location change for his tent only a week before; he probably hadn't moved since then. 

The tent was isolated and had a small stream one hundred yards away. The constant sound was relaxing, he had said. Now he was far to the west.

I found the tent easily enough. Kiba's chakra was starting to saturate the air around the small clearing.

Kiba poked his nose out of the opening, and then his head. "Shino? We aren't training today, you said. Because your wife chick is at the doctor's."

I nodded. "In fact, she's pregnant."

He blinked.

I continued, "She believes that, by the timing for various things, the child was conceived on the night of our return from battle."

He opened his mouth. I waited, but he didn't speak. He closed his mouth again.

I added, "She is extremely pleased."

He mumbled, "C-congratulations."

I was still standing at the edge of the clearing. Akamaru was on his side to my right, lazing on the day of no training.

Kiba remembered himself and held open the flap of the tent. "Come inside…"

I did.

We stood quietly inside his tent. He fidgeted, and then snatched up a wrapped bundle of jerked meat. He offered it to me. "Ano… Snack? I guess?"

I shook my head. "I had lunch with my wife."

He made a face, and took a piece for himself. "Then… um, why else are you here?"

I had to think. Why should I not be in this tent, with Kiba? "I… wanted to tell you."

He sighed. "You did it again. 'I want'. Do you have any idea how hard it is to resist that?"

Was my answer incorrect? "I am here because you are my best friend."

He made a face again. "Shit. Shino, you are so fucking…" He seemed lost for words, and then looked away and laughed. "You're so cute sometimes."

"…Oh. Very well," I said eventually.

He looked at me for a long time, and then pointed to his cot. "Sit down."

I sat down. He stood in front of me.

He said, somewhat tentatively, "Take off your glasses."

They were folded and slipped into my jacket's pocket.

His eyes fixed on mine and he was gaining confidence. "Your jacket."

I unzipped it and it wound up on Kiba's pile of possessions.

Kiba was chewing of his bottom lip. "…Pants."

Obedience. I was now naked.

He pulled off his jacket distractedly, and his hands were almost shaking when he took off his shirt.

I had never seen Kiba's hands shake. Now… they _almost_ did.

He didn't bother with his own pants, and fell on his knees in front of me.

"Kiba?" What was he-?

Oh.

He took me in his mouth and moaned with enthusiasm and –

_Oh._

Almost too quickly, he leaned back and asked, "Has Mira ever done _that_?"

I was controlling my breathing with difficulty. "I can say with certainty… never in her life."

He grinned and stood up. He began to rummage through his things.

I was extremely hard and immensely lonely.

Then, Kiba was back and a familiar-looking tube was in his left hand and its cap was in the right. He held two fingers beneath the opening.

I stopped him and put out my own hand. His breath caught in his chest, and then the cold liquid-like gel was on my fingers.

His weight settled on my thighs, and his legs reached past me, one on either side of me and heels on the bed and…

And I wasn't thinking anymore.

My fingers slid into him, and I hadn't felt anything this tight since my first night with Mira.

Patience. Think. That meant that it would take preparation – such a clinical word for whatever _this_ was – and time and patience and I really had to _think _–

And then Kiba's hand was helpfully covering me with the gel and he snarled, "I don't break, Shino."

He lifted himself up and brought himself down and _I had to think_.

He paused, breathing harder than I was.

"…_Kiba_…"

"Give me… a second…"

And then he experimentally lifted himself and brought himself down again and that was enough permission for me.

* * *

Later, I remembered why that shouldn't have happened. 

Mira. Pregnant. Married.

Right.

But then Kiba kissed me and I neglected to feel the full force of that particular line of thought.

It wasn't as though sex with Kiba was the same as sex with Mira, anyway.

* * *

A few days later, everyone knew about Mira's pregnancy. All the women I had ever met had paraded through our receiving room, squealing with Mira for as long as they could. It was so active that I had to leave the house; no part of it was safe. Father removed himself to a short-term, voluntary teaching position designed to help move chuunins along the path to jounin-level at an accelerated rate. He was away from the house for most of the day. 

Kiba refused to train with me every single day. After an intensive week straight of training, he and Akamaru staged a mutiny and dragged me to the Hyuuga home. Neji and Hinata had been living in a smaller, secondary home on the grounds since their marriage.

Hinata answered the door, but we could hear Naruto inside already. Hinata blushed, and stumbled through an invitation inside. Kiba frowned at her, and ruffled her hair with his hand as he passed into the Hyuuga's dining room.

I stayed in the front hall with my little sister. "Hinata."

She flinched, and her bowed head faced me so that I could see only her bangs. "Y-yes, Shino-kun?"

I frowned, just as Kiba had. "Not that."

She corrected herself, "Onii-san."

I said, "All of us here. Neji, Naruto, Kiba, and I. Are we your friends?"

She was confused, but nodded quickly. "You're the closest people to my heart…"

I made my voice cold intentionally. "You used to be closer to us, but now you've pulled away. You're the Hinata of years ago."

She was shrinking with every word. "I understand, Shi- Onii-san. I'm sorry…"

That wasn't my objective. "You have been this Hinata for a month. It's time to look me in the eye. You are stronger than this."

But she was still shrinking. My Hinata, the one that I had grown with on our genin team, didn't come.

Very, very quietly, I told her, "Just because you lost the baby doesn't mean that we love you any less."

She was shaking.

Naruto was in the doorway. "Oi! What the hell, Shino? You're yelling at _Hinata_?"

I stepped away from her, to give him room to move closer.

Hinata's hands rose to her face.

Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist, facing her and murmuring quietly. Every other sentence, she nodded without moving her hands. I stayed there, waiting to see what would become of her.

Naruto apparently convinced her to lower her hands, and Naruto took the opportunity to kiss her quickly.

Hinata turned red. "N-Naru-chan, Onii-san's there..."

Naruto's voice was quiet enough for me to have to strain to hear. "He already knows. I love you, so I want to kiss you."

Hinata fitted her head under his chin. They were whispering to each other for a few seconds, and then Naruto went back to the dining room - giving me a warning glare - and left Hinata with me.

She said quietly, "I'm trying. Really. It's hard not to think about it every time someone looks at me, but I'm _trying_." She stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around my shoulders, and kissed my cheek. It was a thing that she had started after her marriage, and was quickly gaining meaning.

She took my hand, and we went into the dining room together.

Neji, Naruto, and Kiba were there. As I sat down, Hinata sat between her husband and Naruto.

Neji was studying a scroll. He didn't look up, but said, "Welcome to our home."

Belatedly, Hinata remembered the greeting. "Welcome to our home..."

Kiba said, "We wanted to say hi, since we haven't seen you in forever."

Neji said, "Hello."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "And then the visiting happens."

Naruto said, "Itari was saying that you and Mira are expecting a kid. Good job."

Hinata blinked, and jerked her head up to look at us. "Really?"

Kiba laughed. "Yeah, sweetie. It's been the talk of the town for about a week. Sakura was in the room when Mira found out, and she hasn't stopped talking since."

Hinata dropped her eyes, mumbling, "I haven't been receiving guests."

Neji said, "It's been quiet around here for a few days. Hanabi hasn't visited."

Kiba asked, "Not even Hiashi? I thought you trained with him."

Neji flinched. "After made jounin, I trained with Lee. Hiashi wouldn't have wanted me to be his equal, anyway."

Hinata worried at the table instead of looking at him.

Naruto said, "Um, I may have this family thing wrong but isn't Hinata's dad kinda like your adoptive dad? Like Iruka and me?"

I said, "No, Naruto, not like Iruka."

Kiba explained, "More like… if Sasuke was supposed to treat you like Iruka does."

"Oh, ew," Naruto said, making a face. "I didn't know Hiashi was like that."

Everyone looked at him sideways. Kiba hazarded, "As a rival."

Naruto's eyes opened wide. Sudden realization hit him like Jata. "Ooooo! Oh my God, I'm dumb!"

Kiba laughed. "Yeah, Naruto. Yeah, you are. Dumbass extraordinaire."

Neji snapped his scroll closed and stood. Curtly, he said, "I'm sure that you'll enjoy discussing my family relationships much more if I'm absent." He reached across his wife and smacked Naruto on the back of the head, the accepted method of punishing him. "You should focus on _never_ being stupid like _that_ ever again, because you just insulted my wife, her father, _and_ me."

He left as indignantly as possible.

Once he was gone, Naruto and Kiba both started laughing. "Can you believe how serious he was…?"

Hinata said, "I don't understand. How did that insult me?"

Kiba promised, "It didn't, Hinata, it didn't. Neji's just on drugs."

I requested tea. She apologized for not having it ready and hurried away.

Kiba hopped across the empty table and shoved Naruto's shoulder hard enough for him to hit the ground. He hissed, "Okay, Naruto, what the _fuck_ was that about? In front of Neji, too! That guy'll kill you if he thinks you're cheating on our little sister!"

Naruto rubbed his head pitifully. "I'm not cheating! I'm not!"

Kiba spat, "I say Sasuke and you think sex, perv. Forget Neji. I'll kill you, too!"

"She's the one cheating!" Naruto yelled.

Kiba froze. No one spoke. Naruto calmed down and straightened, and Kiba came back to sit next to me.

Naruto tried again. "Sasuke and I just aren't like that, okay? That time… in the hospital…" He was turning red. "That was an accident. The first time anything happened in a long time."

Kiba rubbed his hand through his hair and accused, "You still hold out hope, though."

Naruto was fiddling with the teacup he had had before we arrived. "You know, hope is a weird thing." Neither of us really understood. Naruto raised his eyes. "Sasuke makes me hope. You know?"

Kiba said, "Yeah, Naruto. I know, sort of."

Naruto nodded vaguely, as though he wasn't listening. "I've learned to stop having hope at all. For the big things, at least." His eyes dropped to the cup, and he turned it counterclockwise steadily. "The big things never go all right to begin with."

The battle. Sasuke's marriage. Hinata's miscarriage.

He took a small sip of the tea that had to be cold. "But sometimes... I can't stop hoping about small things. Set my whole heart on one outcome, I mean. I don't notice it at first - it's just a thought." He affected a falsely hopeful voice. "Like 'Oh, wouldn't it be nice if something like that happened.'"

Kiba was staring at him, drinking in his words like sunlight.

"Soon enough, I'm so focused on it that I think I'll die if it doesn't work out." Naruto, the vibrant, number-one loudmouth ninja of Konoha, shook his head and grinned at us. "That's what Sasuke does to me."

I wasn't watching Naruto any longer. Kiba's completely focused expression was more interesting.

A tired sigh. "And then _of course_ it's not going to happen. ...Sasuke does that to me, too. Always… lets things not work out."

Kiba leaned forward. "What then?"

I finally looked back at Naruto, and he was smiling. He confessed, "I just - I love him."

We both glared at him.

He assured us, "I love Hinata, too."

Kiba asked it. "And?"

Naruto shrugged. "And both of them are married."

Kiba asked, "But then... um… how do you stay so… Naruto?"

Naruto put a thumb to his chest, returning to himself. "I figure that life's just weird. It doesn't leave any room for hope anywhere! Life's not gonna get _me_ down!"

Kiba looked away, and nodded. "Not a bad philosophy."

Naruto rubbed his upper arm through his jacket. "Um, listen, I'm gonna leave once Hinata comes back and I can say good bye. All right? Just… you didn't tell her, right? About the hospital."

"We didn't," I confirmed.

"…Good. Because it doesn't mean anything. Sasuke loves Itari one hundred percent." He chuckled like a gossip. "Have you seen how careful he is with her nowadays? Since she's getting really big, he won't let her go down stairs by herself or anything. It's hilarious."

They were laughing about Jata's protection competition by the time Hinata came back with tea. "I'm sorry that it took so long!"

We thanked her anyway, determined to treat her like our strong little sister.

Once she set down the cups, Naruto stood up. "I'm gonna go, okay, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata nodded quickly. "I should have shown better hospitality."

Naruto pointed at her neck, and poked her nose when she looked down. "Stay beautiful!" He was singing his ramen song – very imaginatively composed of a single word – as he left.

Hinata sat down across from us, fingers twirling a blue stone hanging from a gold chain around her neck. She was smiling. "Naru-chan is very patient with me."

"Yeah, he's really serious about you. You should hear how he talks." Kiba was smiling softly.

Hinata nodded, coloring yet again. "I love him. Really. And it's different from when I had a crush on him, because then I couldn't even talk to him." She sighed, and crossed her arms on the table in front of her, dropping her forehead onto them. "But that's getting harder and harder."

Kiba asked smoothly, "Is it because of the miscarriage, too?"

She nodded again, making her hair stick out at odd angles around her hidden face. "I think that he wants to... make love. Maybe."

This took us off guard. Kiba growled, "I'll kill him _more_."

She peeked at us tentatively. "I mean, he'll never ask for that. We agreed not to until I have a child, just in case. But I've been getting the feeling that he wants to, lately."

I suggested, "Perhaps that feeling is coming from _you_, Hinata, and Naruto doesn't have any idea."

She murmured, "I asked him, and he said that we're not going to do that if I'm not myself..."

"It looks like you're in good hands, then, Hinata," Kiba said gently.

There was a knock at the front door, and Tenten yelled from outside. "Hey, guy-sh! If you're home, I'm coming in, and if you're not, you won't know!"

She came jovially into the room. She was getting better at talking, and had only a small slur. "Oh, lhook, Kiba and Sh-hino are here, too. I'm here to sh-ee Neji!"

Hinata pointed to the doorway that her husband had left through, but it was already filled. Neji held his hand at shoulder height and lowered it.

Tenten covered her mouth, and then whispered, "Sh-orry for yellhing."

Neji waved his hand and disappeared again, Tenten soon following.

Hinata watched them go with a smile. "I'm glad that they're both sort of back to normal. After... the battle, I mean."

I asked, "The deafness is permanent?"

"There's still a chance that it'll come back, but it's small. She's adapted, anyway."

Kiba scratched his head. "What are those two doing back there?"

Hinata kept smiling. "Tenten and Neji have been helping each other to accept... Lee."

Kiba made a face. "Eww. So, right now, they're... you know?"

I said, "Most likely."

Kiba said, "Well, I think it's about time to hit the streets..."

Hinata giggled. "You're weird, Nii-chan. Even though you've had sex before, you're still really embarrassed. I've been married for almost five months, and Shino... seven, I think?"

I corrected, "Seven and a half."

Hinata finished, "And we're fine, now. The more you have it, the less remarkable it is."

A large amount of blood hit Kiba's face at full gallop. He said, "Right, we're gone!" He took my hand and mostly dragged me outside.

I said, "You told Hinata that we had sex."

"Yeah..."

I was still being dragged farther away from the secondary Hyuuga home. "But sex with you is different from sex with Mira. It can't be compared to Hinata and Neji, either."

He stopped, and turned to face me with wide eyes. "The creepy thing is that I hope I actually understand your logic on that one."

I said, "There is medication for that."

He laughed. "You're getting better at humor!" There was a quiet moment as he glanced around at the empty Hyuuga building that surrounded us, and then reached up to take off my glasses.

I bent down and kissed him. He kissed back, and then gave me back me glasses and winked. "I think Akamaru's got to be tired of playing with the other dogs at my place by now. How about we go have some fun with him?"

...Or I could return home for what Mira called 'baby talk'.

"Yes, let's go."

Life didn't leave time for much of anything, let alone hope.

* * *

Ah... yes, I'm not quite level with this one. Weird. It gives me a not-so-great vibe. But it sets up some fun drama... 

'Kiba remembered himself and held open the flap of the tent. "Come inside…"

I did.'

I love me. Foreshadowing is only fun if people realize it, and Shino never will...

I've been asked to explain the characters' relationships, so, the next 'chapter' will be dedicated to that... and not count as part of the story.


	25. Just a Quick Recap

Well, because some random person asked me to explain teh relationships so far, I will. I know that it must be difficult to keep up, if you're not the one writing in and thinking about it almost constantly. (Sorry.) Reading this shouldn't tell you anything more than you already know from the previous twenty-four chapters.

Here are names and affiliations, listed in... pretty much any order I feel like. Probably in clumps of plots. Sub-plots. Things.

Main... people. I guess.

Shino: Married (by arrangement) to Mira for seven and a half months, and now expecting a child with her. To date, has not said the words 'I love you' to her. With Kiba... just doesn't think about whatever's going on there. Sex has happened twice, once the night before Shino's wedding and again the day that Kiba was told of Mira's pregnancy. Kissing happens regularly. (Seriously, who says 'thank you' after hearing 'I'm pregnant'?). Oh, and he loves Hinata as a sister.

Kiba: Pretty obviously in love with Shino. Has laid claim to Shino's glasses, basically - always takes them off before they kiss. Has had sex twice in his life, both times with Shino (...). Hasn't told Shino. With Mira, he knows that she knows that he likes Shino, and they're in a war over him. It's calmed down a bit, lately... I think. Also loves Hinata as a sister.

Mira: She grew up in a ninja village (Kumogakure) but wasn't trained so that she could become a good wife to Shino (in Konohagakure; becuase she wasn't trained, she can't reveal Kumo's secrets). She's in love with Shino - if she isn't, why was her entire life ruined just to marry him? She doesn't seem to have noticed that Shino's never said that he loves her back, and... she immediately wanted to get pregnant. Really bad. Now she is... so, yay. At war with Kiba over Shino - well, just sort of lording it over him that she's won, really.

Subplot number 1. The Na/Hi/Ne/Lee/Gaa...um/Ten one.

Naruto: In love with Hinata. And Sasuke. They were going out for a year before Hinata's and Neji's arranged marriage was annouced, and they just sort of didn't grow apart. They haven't had sex. Naruto doesn't like Neji, but puts up with him for Hinata's sake. He actually got along well with Lee - they're both pretty single-minded - but now Lee's dead.

Hinata: In love with Naruto. Sort of wants to take the next step, but Naruto won't do that until she's back to 'herself' ; the stronger Hinata that she was before her miscarriage (she's reverted back to not being able to look anyone in the eye). Married to Neji; the child she lost was his. Was friends with Lee. During the battle (that screwed pretty much everyones lives up) she was seven weeks pregnant and was hit in the stomach and... lost the baby that she hadn't known she was carrying. And it's messed with her head a bit.

Neji: Married to Hinata, loved Lee before he was killed, and is now... sleeping with Tenten. Maybe loves her?... Or something. Hates Gaara _a lot _because he came between Neji and Lee before Lee died. He's pretty depressive right now. Hates Hiashi, head of the Hyuuga clan and Neji's uncle, a lot, also, for reasons explored in the show. (Hiashi was Neji's father's twin brother, but was named clan heir over him; Hizashi was killed for Hiashi's crimes, since they're identical.)

Lee: Well, he's dead now. Lee was in love with Neji, but then Gaara said that he loved Lee and Lee never really worked out the problem with Neji before Lee's death. Presumably, he chose Neji over Gaara... Lee was killed in Neji's defense.

Tenten: Has had a crush on Neji for a long time (as explored in chapter...18?). Now they're doing the horizontal monster mash to get over Lee. (...?) She's deaf, because a flashbang went off too close to her face. She has a small lisp, now, too; she can't hear herself. She's being careful, though, and she can read lips well enough. If she wasn't a ninja, she wouldn't have recovered this fast.

Gaara: Well, loved Lee. Told him. We don't know what Lee said back. He hates Neji, though. And Sasuke. Fun times. Approves of Jata, though. Hahaha...

Subplot number 2 (I guess). The Saku/Sasu/Ita/Jata... one.

Sakura: Loved Sasuke pretty seriously. (You all know the story on that one). Since his wedding, she's been moving on. I guess that's all for her.

Sasuke: Loves and is married to Itari. They're expecting a child here pretty soon. We don't know the story about Sakura; presumably he cares for her, because he wanted to help her move on... And we don't really know the story with him and Naruto, but Naruto loves him and Sasuke cares pretty deeply...

Itari: She's neato. (Her personality's based on Naruto, you know, and her appearance/name on Itachi.) Seven months pregnant... I think. (All the time and math in this is sort of give or take.) She's in love with Sasuke, and has seen him kissing Naruto... so we're not sure how they're doing. Pretty affectionate toward Jata, because they're bestest friends. (Maybe. She's a hard one to read.)

Jata: My favorite OC ever. Based on Gaara, actually. She doesn't talk. Probably never will... not sure. Um, very... protective of Itari. Very. Her mother suggested that she might have fallen in love with Itari. Maybe. Baru was a bit vague.

Random people, while I'm thinking about it:

Soro: I don't know if he's got a romantic interest. He certainly hits on Kiba a lot. And he sort of... I don't know, _teases_ Jata. Kind of. A very little bit. He doesn't like hospitals, I know that, because his sister was killed and a lot of people die in there...

Baru: Jata's mother. She's swell. Good friends with Shibi, I guess, but not really romantically...

Gyo: Yes, he'll come back eventually. No, he doesn't get a romantic interest. I hope. (Oh, ugh, I just remembered a bad idea I had a while ago, thinking about it. I have lots of those cropping up...)

Who else?

Oh! The Ino/Shika/Tem kids.

Ino: Is dating Shika. Yes, still. Sorts suspects something about him and Temari, but isn't sure.

Shika: Wow. We haven't really talked to him about it, but he's pretty much outright cheating on Ino with Temari. Not sure of he still loves Ino, though.

Temari: She and Shika equal yay.

...I think that that's it. If you have any questions, ask me and I'll add the info in here _and_ reply to you.

This is Leviticus Lied, over and out...


	26. Risks

I'm sorry that this is late. Again. Things've been getting me down lately. Apparently, the US Post Office gets its jollies by losing stuff that's important to me.

But, as of April 11, 2007, the author Leviticus Lied is sixteen! I'm excited! I drive now!

Oh... and you'll like bits of this chapter a lot, I think. Other bits... not so much. You know how these things go up and down with your feelings.

Is everyone strapped in? Let the roller coaster begin!

(Please show mercy and patience, and continue to read happily!)

* * *

Six and a half months after Kiba and I made jounin, we were summoned to the Hokage's office. Even Akamaru was allowed to stand with us, though Shizune was off in one corner, grumbling about his presence. 

Tsunade was at her desk, staring at us solemnly. Her arms were crossed and settled on the wooden surface, directly in front of her exposed cleavage. One eyebrow raised in annoyance as she shifted in her chair. "Shino-san, Kiba-san, do you know why I called you here?"

Kiba shook his head.

I opened my mouth to answer.

She raised her hand. "Alright, so Shino-san knows. Kiba-san, try to think. Nothing in all your experience with me has given you a single clue?"

Kiba tilted his head at her. Akamaru did the same. "Nope, sorry. I try to avoid thinking as much as I can. That's Shino's job."

Tsunade smiled to herself happily. "Times like these remind me why I like kids. Their lives are so simple." She blinked and turned to me. "That reminds me. Shino-san, congratulations on your wife's pregnantness. I was the medic to test her, you know. You left before I could say anything before."

I said, "Thank you, Hokage-sama." I turned back to the original subject. "I have a hypothesis about your reasons."

She waved her hand, inviting me to say it.

"There is a high probably that you are going to promote us."

Kiba turned his head to me quickly, completely shocked. He always expected the worst case scenarios, never anything fortuitous. Akamaru barked happily.

Tsunade laughed. "Yes, you're right. Well done. Just what I would expect from the newest ANBU members!"

Kiba breathed out in a long gust. "_Really?_"

Now she was simply smug. "Yes, really. You get to play with the big kids from now on."

Shizune stepped forward with a bow, offering us both scrolls. "You both leave tomorrow at dawn..." She paused and finished clearly, "…Separately."

Kiba blinked. "Whoa, wait. What do you mean, 'separately'?"

"As in _not together_," Tsunade clarified.

"I know what it means," Kiba said quickly, "but I want to know _why_?"

I said, "Our record and exams show clearly that we make an excellent team." I studied Tsunade carefully, trying to gage how accurate my hypothesis was. "Sending us on different missions will test our individual strength."

Tsunade smiled cheekily. "Close, Shino-kun. Very, very close. Yet also very conceited of you. I'm proud." She stood up, holding two scrolls that seemed to be copies of ours. "The teams will be made of one ANBU and two jounins up for ANBU rank. It's not just to try _you_ out. We're looking at several people, here."

Kiba unrolled his scroll and glanced through it quickly. "So I'm on a team with Neji and… oh, gods help me. Do I _have_ to be with Soro?"

Tsunade blinked and looked down at her scroll. "This Soro's good. Is there something wrong with him?"

Kiba pouted and complained, "If you consider an annoying speech pattern, oversexed personality, and the fact that he could've killed me in the prelims if Shino hadn't been there to all be neat little quirks, then no, by all means, he can be my new best friend."

I said, "Jata seems to have found the proper protocol in dealing with him."

Kiba nodded intelligently and then patted all of his pockets. "Damn," he pouted sarcastically, "I left my threatening needles in my other holster."

I looked at my own scroll. "Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."

Tsunade waved her hand ornately, to get my attention. "Uzumaki. You keep that one alive, you hear me?"

Kiba said, "I don't know what's more dangerous, the enemy or Sasuke and Naruto together on a stealth mission."

"Why?" Tsunade asked, half-sitting on the forward edge of her desk.

I answered, "The situation may become volatile. I will remain attentive."

As we waited to be dismissed, the Hokage scrutinized us. As an afterthought, she said, "And you two can't discuss your missions before you get back from them. This is _separate_, mind. In fact, don't even spend the day together."

Kiba's mouth dropped open again. "That's not fair!"

"And I'm Hokage. I get to do whatever I want."

"Sadist!"

Now she was nearly singing. "Ho-kaaaa--ge!"

I said, "I will leave first. Kiba."

He turned to me, expecting to hear...something.

I said, "May you find glory and peace on your journey." The standard, traditional maxim.

Whatever he had expected, it wasn't that. "R-right. And you..."

I bowed to the Hokage and touched Akamaru's head, and then left the office.

* * *

Mira sat up when I began preparing for the mission. "Shino, the sun doesn't rise for another half hour, what are you doing up?" she murmured drowsily. 

"I may be late," I said. "I must be at the East Gate at dawn."

"Why?" Her disoriented confusion evaporated instantly. "Is something wrong?"

"No. I have a mission."

She opened her mouth for a moment. "When did you get… No, how long will you be gone?"

"It is difficult to say. Possibly only one night, if nothing goes awry." I took a visual count of my weapons, secured them in the thigh holster under my right hand, and faced her. "I'll go."

That was not what she had wanted to hear. Mira stuttered, "M-may you find glory and peace on your journey..."

I nodded and turned to go. The screen's wooden frame rattling on the tracks drowned out her next words, but I caught:

"…ve you."

I moved quickly down the hall.

* * *

At dawn, Sasuke and I stood at the East Gate. 

Three minutes passed, and then Sasuke announced, "There's no point waiting for him. Let's go."

For a brief moment, I though thtat we would leave for the mission without Naruto, our teammate. As the recognized leader and highest rank, such a decision was Sasuke's prerogative.

But he walked back into Konoha proper. "We'll have to wake the idiot up ourselves."

I had never personally been to Naruto's apartment before. It was on the fifth floor of a low-rent building. He had lived alone all his life, because Naruto was an orphan.

The village supported orphaned children of ninja without question. Generally, the child would be adopted by a relative or understanding family.

No family had wanted to take Uzumaki Naruto in. He had lived eighteen years in the lowest-rent apartment the city could find for him.

Now, Tsunade had a soft spot for him, and Naruto himself earned enough to tmove to a more extravagant area. Naruto had chosen to stay.

Sasuke knocked on the hard wooden door and nearly took it off its hinges. "Oi, dobe! Get up, you shiftless loser!"

Naruto's voice sounded back almost immediately through the wafer-thin walls. "Ah – yeah, okay. Just a few seconds. Okay?"

Sasuke blinked at the door, and then his black eyes narrowed in anger and suspicion. He moved to the door to the right and knocked more politely.

And old woman answered. "Oh, Sasuke-kun! How are you this morning?"

"Obaa-san," Sasuke greeted her respectfully, "I'm going to be taking Naruto."

"It's about time," she said mildly.

Sasuke fidgeted and finished, "…On a mission."

She shook her head sadly. "One of these days, Sasuke-kun, you'll make my retirement interesting."

Sasuke moved on. "I have to ask, Obaa-san. Last night, did the idiot have any company?"

She didn't understand for a moment and then nodded and said, "There were voices, yes, but I didn't hear anything like that."

Finally, the blond crashed though his door, yelling, "Dammit, I'm ready, alright? Stop asking my neighbors about my personal life!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes as the woman made some vague allusion to Naruto being 'ready' and then disappeared pleasantly into her room.

I looked past Naruto, past the ramen cups and half-unrolled scrolls, past the conspicuously numerous articles of feminine clothing…

And nodded a greeting to the pile of sheets that had Hinata's pearlescent eyes.

Naruto saw the motion, and then saw what I was looking at and blushed. "Nothing happened, okay?"

Sasuke looked into the room. "There is just no way that's the truth."

Hinata was visibly shrinking, now completely hidden in Naruto's red sheets.

Naruto stammered, "O-okay, _some_thing happened, but _every_thing didn't happen." He carefully spoke only to me. After a few seconds he risked a glance at Sasuke.

Sasuke was regarding Hinata critically, and then prompted, "The mission, dobe?"

"Oh! Right!" Naruto waded across his room and kissed Hinata quickly. "I have to go, love."

"I'll see you when you get back," Hinata said, hand moving to the blue stone at her throat. She had the sheet tight around anything important, but her pale shoulders and upper chest were starkly visible against the red.

I said, "And I will see you when you are... less nude, little sister."

"More's the pity, right?" Naruto aid dreamily as he came back to join us. "I mean, Hinata's really pretty!"

Sasuke said, "We're leaving."

Naruto stuck out his tongue. "You're pissed because your wife's a month away from babydom and you are… um… sexually frustrated!"

Sasuke's voice was cold, emotionless, and sharp as a katana. "There's only so much I can take, Naruto."

The blond flinched.

The moment passed and Sasuke drawled, "And stop getting your insults from Sakura. For the record, Itari is still, for lack of a better word, _Itari_."

I asked, "Won't this indiscretion be far from unnoticeable?"

Naruto motioned for me to stop talking, and then whispered, "Tenten spent the whole night over there. It's a fair trade." He looked uncomfortable and added, "And nothing very major happened, right? You be sure to tell Kiba that. I don't want fleas or anything."

I said, "Kiba is not the one from whom you should fear an infestation."

Naruto looked green around his eyes for a moment and then hurried forward with an "I'll stop talking now" thrown over his shoulder.

Sasuke yelled after him, "Oi, you were late, so you're carrying the tent in your pack!"

Hopefully, Kiba was off to a better start.

* * *

Naruto, Sasuke, and I covered an amazing distance in the first day; to other the village and halfway back. The mission was normal for ANBU, a clean, in-and-out assassination. We set up the tent, which plagued a ninja's existence, and settled down for the night. Two men would sleep the tent and one would stand on watch, in four-hour shifts. 

At one-thirty, I was on watch. Nothing had moved for three hours, and I had resorted to arithmetic problems to keep myself alert.

Then, I felt a dampening of chakra. The ambient feeling of it suddenly decreased dramatically.

That was less than ideal.

I was instantly stretching my senses for threats. The bulk of the chakra had been Naruto's, because he had a massive internal supply and wasn't trying to suppress it. Now he was. Sasuke's had been overpowered from the start, but suddenly it was nonexistent.

Obviously, something was happening. Being on watch meant that I had to investigate.

Keeping behind the trees made it possible to send a kikai. The action was useless if my unattended body was left in the open.

_I navigated my way around trees and wide leaves. Anything with even a minute amount of chakra flared out at me, and I resisted the instinct to indulge. I must not take any but my Abu's chakra unless he ordered me to. _

_Two infernos assaulted my vision, one much more intense than the other. They were familiar – my Abu's brothers, Uzu and Uchi, descended from the queen Tsuna of the colony Konoha… _

_They were speaking words. Human words, not the clicking and rustling that I understood. _

_No, I did. "Sasuke, I love you." _

_"You're an idiot." _

_"No, I know that you love Itari and all that. I just – I mean, it wouldn't be fair if you didn't know. You know?" _

_"You are love with Hinata. That was _her_ in your bed this morning." _

_"I love her separately. And for different reasons." _

_"You wouldn't have the higher brain capacity for that kind of thing." _

_"Would you just listen to me? I love you!" _

_"Fine. Is that all you dragged me out here for?" _

_"Well…yeah. I mean… Yeah! Do I need another reason?" _

_"I can think of one. But you probably set off Aburame's sneaking sense." The Uchi's eyes lit up with chakra and saw me. I filled with chakra he sent me, and then there was more and _more_ and _too much_- _

I returned to myself.

Sasuke had used his Sharingan technique, a blood limit trait similar to the Hyuuga Byakugan. He had pinpointed my kikai, forced his chakra into it, and killed it. It displayed a higher level of chakra control than most.

Interesting.

I still needed to keep watch over my teammates, of course. I stood stiffly from my position against the tree where my body had settled awkwardly.

Long minutes of working out my kikai's path frustrated me, but were necessary. The forest was very different in a human mind compared to a kikai's.

Once I was sure of my path, I followed it as silently as possible, which took even more time. I had ot be careful to conceal myself from Sasuke – he might try to do to me what he had done to my kikai. He was ANBU, after all.

The precautions turned out to be both needless and detrimental. When I finally arrived at the clearing, only Naruto was there.

He was curled up in the center of the clearing, knees pulled up to his chin. This, in Kiba's lexicon, translated to 'fear' and 'protecting oneself'.

Most of his clothes were in pieces around him.

If I looked more critically, there was blood around him, as well as other fluids.

Naruto looked up at me and grinned the grin that had been permanent through our younger years. "So I guess I lost a friend. Or… I dunno. He said, 'I've got what I wanted, and it still wasn't as good as with her.' Does that mean that he's just sort of cutting off…everything…?"

His steady, flat delivery alarmed me. Naruto usually yelled whatever he was saying.

I asked, "Are you injured?"

He said, "The actual tears are already healed, but my…um…" He paused, stopped telling me what he had intended to tell me, and then picked up the sentence. "My fast-healing-ness is a bit finicky. It only heals things that bleed and the life-threatening stuff. Bruises and aches are my own fault."

I asked instead, "Can you stand?"

Naruto shrugged. "I tried. It hurts a lot, from the middle of my back down."

I took off my jacket and offered it to him. He took it in one hand and I pulled him into something that resembled standing with the other. Wincing, he pulled the jacket over his arms and zipped it up and then began to fall. I grasped his elbows, keeping him up but rocking back on his heels.

"Owowow! Alright... I'm _very_ sure that I can't walk. Fuck."

I wrapped one arm across his back to grab his waist, keeping the other on his elbow. He moved forward, most of his weight on me.

When we were halfway to our makeshift camp, Naruto said conversationally, "So, I was just raped."

I didn't know what he wanted me to say. "How can I help?"

He pushed against me in the places where we touched. "It's already helping. The physical contact, I mean. It feels like I should try to get away from it, but I can't let myself do that. It's part of retraining my body, right?"

I persisted. "Nothing else?" I was uncomfortable, because all of my skin was exposed – or it felt like it. Naruto had my jacket.

Naruto shook his head. "But, um, I think I'm okay. Emotionally, I mean. You know how you hear about people having weird emotional issues? I haven't got any of those. I'll be fine."

He was in the 'shock' stage of recovery.

Naruto said, "But, um, if I start trying to figure out why he did it, it hurts."

I asked, "Do you have a theory?"

"Well, obviously, he doesn't want to be my friend anymore…"

Instantly, Sasuke was next to us, spitting, "You're _really fucking stupid_, Naruto."

At the sound of Sasuke's voice, Naruto's knees failed. I carefully helped him sit, but he gasped and I laid him out on his side.

Naruto saw his best friend's ankles and ground out, "...Sasuke..."

Sasuke squatted down in front of him. Without inflection, he said, "I love Itari."

Naruto couldn't raise his eyes to look Sasuke in the face. "I know that. I love Hinata."

Sasuke tilted his head, studying Naruto with eerie, snake-like movements in the dark. "I don't love you."

Naruto tried and failed to shake his head. "I don't need you to."

"Then what do you _want_?" Sasuke whispered almost desperately.

Naruto was breathing hard, mouth working, no expression. "I want…"

There was a long moment, and Naruto was confused. His hand slid forwad and his fingers brushed Sasuke's ankle.

Sasuke twitched and looked away.

Naruto's brows came together and he sighed, "I want this to not change…us."

Sasuke asked softly, "Is that possible?"

Naruto chuckled weakly, "Quitter. You can't get rid of me that easily." His blue eyes closed, and his brething evened out.

Sasuke looked at me. It was a Jata look.

I said, "I will continue my watch until dawn."

That was apparently not why he was glaring at me.

I finished, "And events occurring on a mission are not to be related."

I was closer.

"...Some should not even be mentioned in such things as mission reports."

He nodded, and then carefully began to carry Naruto to the tent.

"An apology might soothe some wounds," I said as unobtrusively as I knew how.

Sasuke said, "You saw him. He's not holding grudges, reportedly."

"He isn't the only one with wounds."

Sasuke's eyes flashed with anger. He negotiated Naruto's entrance into the tent, and then stalked back to me. "Now, I know that it's not my place to say it or whatever the fuck Itari made me swear, but you have _no_ right to talk about wounds with that fucking kicked dog following you around everywhere. So, why don't you shut the fuck up and think long and hard about 'friendship' and 'love', Aburame. Lord knows a hell of a lot of people in your life would benefit from it."

I didn't say anything, and he went back into the tent.

What did he want to hear, in that situation?

* * *

Kiba was already back and waiting at the Gate when we returned. Sasuke released me from his command, and the three of us – Akamaru included – made our way through the winding streets. 

Kiba asked, "How did it go? Think you got in?"

I hadn't been thinking of the mission as a precursor to ANBU. "I don't know."

Instead, I asked Kiba, "What is the difference between friendship and love?"

Kiba turned to me sharply. "What?"

"Uchiha Sasuke told me to consider it, and made a reference to a 'kicked dog', which may or may not have meant you."

His mouth quirked up in an exasperated smile. "You don't have to worry about it, Shino."

"I am curious."

He had stopped walking. A small crowd was gathering to see why the Inuzuka had such an unguarded expression.

"I guess…there isn't. A difference. Not big enough to be important."

I asked, "There _are_ differences. You are not the same as Hinata or Mira."

Kiba took a deep breath and didn't let it go. He made a gesture to Akamaru and the dog sat in place. Then, I was being led away by Kiba.

We were in a deserted niche between buildings before he stopped. Hesitantly, he asked, "Shino… do you know how to tell…that you love someone?"

"No. How do you tell?"

He shrugged and set his shoulders on the stucco of one building. "I don't know either. I keep trying to figure it out. But…"

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and then reached up for my glasses and then I was up against the opposite wall and he was kissing me very, very slowly. He leaned his forehead on my shoulder, and said, "I do know that… I love you, Shino."

"I…" I didn't know that I was saying, or trying to say. What happened next? With Mira, I would kiss her, but that had already happened, and that didn't feel like it applied to Kiba. "Love is that close to friendship?"

He took another deep, shaking breath, and let it out. "Yeah, whatever. Sure. Why not?"

"I…" Was this appropriate? "I love…"

Kiba shook his head viciously. "No, you don't. Don't you _ever_ say _anything_ to me just because you think I need to hear it. I'm not Mira."

He rubbed his face on my jacket. "Ugh. I have a headache now. I'm… I'm gonna go, okay?" My glasses were pressed back into my hand.

I bent and kissed him briefly, and said, "Wait."

He grinned. "Always. I'll see you later, okay? Lemme know when you figure out the meaning of life."

He left and I was holding my glasses too tightly and why had that 'I love you' feel so final compared to Hinata's or Mira's?

I put my glasses back on, carefully avoiding my throbbing temples. I hadn't slept in something like two days.

It would make sense... at some point.

After rest, when I could think logically.

That was for certain.

Until then, I could only drift in the direction of my home and my pregnant wife.

* * *

Wow. Suddenly, I've shown an unexpected streak of benevolence, and may have to do some major restructuring of the future of this story. I had originally intended to have neither Shino nor Kiba say the words 'I' and 'love' in the same clause toward each other. Ever. But apparently I'm not the complete sadist I thought I was. 

And did anyone take the time to compare Mira's reaction to Hinata's when they both found out about the mission on I'm-leaving-right-now notice? Oh. Heheheh, and Hinata's finally scurried her way into Naruto's flamboyant orange trousers... only to have him be raped the same day. Did I mention I was sorry for that? ...And you all know that Naruto could've fought him off if he'd wanted to, right?

I got bored and let a friend interview me about this chapter. To read it, go to reviews - chapter 26 and then the very oldest (first) review is... fun to read. You don't have to, though.


	27. Consequences

I really like this chapter. Nothing overly bad happens, except to Sasuke, who deserves it.

I would just like to say that nothing in this chapter was prompted by the anonymous and vaguely threatening review I received last chapter, flying off the handle at me for not knowing rape psychology. Well, no, I've never been raped, but I know for damn sure that all of the psychological symptoms wouldn't suddenly hit Naruto in the face in the first five minutes after _that_ happened, which was pretty much how long he was conscious. He was in _shock_, lady. The rest wouldn't catch up for... oh... a day or so. And, no, I'm not making light of rape. It's a capital offense, right up there with eviscerating babies. Assuming that just because I ended the chapter without anyone else knowing meant that no one else would _ever_ know is shallow and shows your impatience.

So... that was my rant. I've been saving that for a while. It wouldn't have been necessary if someone had talked to me and listened when I was really angry for a while.

...Adi88 is all busy with stupid things like school and passing classes.

So, I've been relying heavily on my reviewers to comfort me - and look! Now I'm rewarding you with something not dark!

* * *

Less that a full day after returning from the mission with Sasuke and Naruto, I was standing at attention in the Hokage's office. 

Tsunade looked me over, and then said, "Alright, spill." She used the tone of a mother calling for the child who stole a dessert.

I asked, "What would you like me to say, Hokage-sama?"

"What in God's name happened on that mission?" she demanded irritably.

"The mission reports should have been filed by now. Mine is certainly in the system somewhere."

She picked up three scrolls. "Yeah, they're here. You said something about the mission being completed adequately, Naruto rambled for ten pages about how great and Hokage-ish his performance was, and Sasuke…"

She set the other two aside and scrutinized the single page closely. "He said, 'Professional. Exact. Promotion acceptable.' Funny how a thirty-six hour mission can fit neatly into four words."

I waited a moment for her to continue, but she only glared at me. "What is the question, Hokage-sama?"

She smacked the page onto the top of her desk. "What happened? What is it that none of you even _mentioned_?"

"Because nothing out of the ordinary was mentioned, something out of the ordinary must have happened?"

On the heels of my own words, Tsunade shouted, "Have you _seen_ Naruto?"

This was dangerous ground, but it was not mine to cross. "I have not seen him since the mission ended."

"He came back unconscious, and all he's done since he woke up was laugh too loudly and smile too blankly and scrawl that sorry excuse for a report!"

"Naruto's standard behavior is similar to that."

She pointed at me. "I've seen all the psychological problems a ninja should be terrified of. I know damn well that Naruto's _forcing_ himself to act normally! That is what some people call _denial_, Aburame. It is _highly indicative_ of a traumatic experience!"

More traumatic than assassinating a man three minutes after watching him laugh with a granddaughter? That was what the mission had called for.

But I did not ask it, because Naruto was a ninja, and he would not have survived this long without more mental strength than that.

Tsunade asked, "What's gotten him acting like a goddamn rape victim suddenly?"

I put my chin to my chest, withdrawing into my jacket.

Women were troublesome. They had a tendency to hit a target with a disconcerting accuracy.

I suggested, "Perhaps you should talk about this with Uchiha Sasuke."

Tsunade stared at me. "Oh, shit." She stood and came around her desk to study me, looking for anything to confirm her suspicions. "Nothing like that happened, did it?"

I said, "I don't think that Naruto would want me talking about–"

She hissed vehemently, "_Fuck_." One hand, its strength enhanced by chakra, slammed down viciously on the edge of her desk, creating a crack in the mahogany. "I spend all my goddamn time worrying about Naruto getting his ass handed to him in a battle and instead it's – it's fucking _worn out_ by fucking _force_."

This statement contained more swearwords than it was advisable to hear from the leader of one's village. I didn't comment.

She lifted her head to pierce me with an authoritative glare. "Who?" When I opened my mouth, she shook her head and said, "If you're about to say the name I think you're about to say, leave right now. I don't want to accidentally hit you in the face with a desk or something."

Observing the dents where her fingers were digging into the wood, I said evenly, "Good day, Hokage-sama," and used a flicker technique to get safely into the hall.

There was a distinct crash as a large amount of wood, scrolls, and pens connected with a wall.

Seconds later, Shizune rushed past him and into Tsunade's office. "A delivery – oh, hell."

Tsunade's voice was tense as it washed through the hallway and probably half of Konoha. "I'm not on call right now. Get Sakura to do it!"

There was another crash, and Shizune backed into the hall, using the door as a shield from her mentor. "It's the Uchiha woman. You've had her case the entire time, you know her history, and Sakura ducked out of the clinic when I asked her to help. You know that she's irrational when it comes to Itari."

Reluctantly, Tsunade asked, "Who's with her now?"

"Just the blond girl that came in with her. Jata. She wouldn't let anyone unfamiliar enter the room, and, frankly, she's pacing around like a protective male animal or something."

"The husband?"

The way Tsunade spat the word made Shizune hesitate. "He was in the Uzumaki brat's room, in the mission-returnee ward. He's probably received a message about it by now."

Tsunade opened the door – wrenching the handle out of Shizune's hand – and stalked past me. Over her shoulder, she growled, "If I see him, he's dead. No negotiation on that one. He can be in the room if I'm not, but I swear on Naruto's empty, cherubic little head that I'll claw his face off given half a chance. And he is _never_, under _any_ circumstances, to be within ten meters of Uzumaki _ever again_."

Shizune looked confused, but it was suicide to argue with the Hokage at this point. She had to sprint to get ahead of Tsunade and warn Sasuke.

The system worked.

* * *

For the next two days, I again avoided my home. Most of the men my age, in fact, developed a sudden interest in the outdoors, as well.

The women had fallen victim to the Baby.

Soro had lost the rest of his cell to its ravages. He had taken to 'training' with us, which mainly consisted of alternately propositioning us and refusing to do anything but laze. His justification was that the rest of his cell was having a vacation, so he would take one, as well.

Itari had reportedly had an easy time of the actual birth. She was now at home with her 'Jata the Third', who was officially recorded under the name 'Uchiha Mikoto', after Sasuke's late mother. She hadn't had to move from her bed and didn't seem too perturbed by this.

Jata had not left the Uchiha premises since Itari's return form the hospital, nor had she reportedly slept. She wouldn't allow the baby to cry for long than ten seconds (Itari was keeping score) and limited Itari's visitors to thirty minutes at a maximum.

Sasuke was not at home.

This wasn't by any decision of his. He had been allowed to spend the first full twenty-four hours with his newly 'unpregnant' wife, and then Tsunade had dragged him to her office by the ear, cracking her knuckles.

He was now suspended from missions for three months, pending a hearing on the extent of his freedoms. Morino Ibiki, head of Konoha intelligence, had been given the task of interrogating him – for a week straight. It was unclear as to what Tsunade hoped to accomplish by this, but Morino was not renowned for his compassion and care.

Also, if Sasuke ever laid eyes on Naruto again, Tsunade would deliberately cripple him.

The specific details of Sasuke's case – such as 'what he did' – were classified. No one dared ask the Hokage about the crime, or even why the information was classified.

I was not even vaguely assumed to have answers.

Except, of course, by Kiba.

"Did whatever Sasuke did happen on your mission with him?"

I looked up from where I was balancing a kunai on the palm of my hand, my legs crossed. He was on his back, stretched out on the soft grass. The small stream near which Kiba had pitched his tent was cool, surrounded by trees that provided a shelter from the summer heat.

"It isn't my business."

Kiba was looking at the sun as it wound its way through the foliage. "If a person does something bad enough to get on Tsunade's permanent 'fuck you' list, I'm pretty sure that's _everyone's_ business.

I said, "He raped Naruto."

Kiba sucked in air through his teeth. "Shit. That'd do it."

There was silence once again.

A bird taunted Akamaru into loping off through the forest, and Kiba chuckled at his partner's antics.

A longer stretch of nothing.

Kiba asked, "Why did he do it?"

"I have no idea."

"If you had to take a guess. Come on, you've clammed up about the entire thing, and you never even take part in a conversation about it. You're like a ghost."

I raised my chin slightly, another vestige of Kiba's body language training.

"…More than usual." When I still didn't answer, Kiba rolled onto his side toward me and rapped on my knee with one knuckle. "Come on. Please? You'll sound smart about it, like always, and you've been so quiet lately, anyway. I love hearing you talk, probably because of how rare it is."

There was that word again. Kiba had been using it in normal conversation, now, typically in reference to me. However, if he didn't find anything strange about it, there was nothing strange about it.

"It may have happened because Sasuke was encouraging Naruto to… no longer love him."

Kiba rolled onto his back again, hands under his head. "What makes you say that?"

"Naruto told Sasuke that he loved him a few minutes before it happened."

"Oh."

More long minutes of comfortable silence.

"Shino."

I said, "Or Sasuke felt _overwhelming lust_ for Naruto and could not contain it."

Kiba's face creased in a familiar pattern and he began to laugh. "Holy hell, you say those words like they're a different language or something!"

I ignored his laughter. "I don't know why he did it, Kiba. I cannot rationalize rape for you."

He calmed down, eventually shading his eyes with the back of one hand. "And that's about the time that Sasuke was telling you to think about friendship and love and all the differences, I guess."

And I remembered.

Kiba loved me.

I said, "I have not discovered 'the meaning of life' yet."

"I kinda figured."

"I did research, but it didn't yield any relevant…"

Kiba drowned out my voice, laughing again. "You did _research_! I knew it! I knew you would! You did _research_ to logic out _love_!"

"I am trying," I reminded him.

"I kinda figured that, too. No need to get huffy." Kiba sat up and moved to set his chin on my right thigh, smiling.

I ignored him, until the pointy chin made itself more noticeable. "That hurts, Kiba."

"Well, it should. I'm trying to make you pay attention."

I looked at him full on. "What do you want, Kiba?"

He winked. "Isn't that jacket of yours making you hot?"

I said, "Your body language indicates that 'making me hot' is _your_ objective."

"You're getting better at banter." He raised himself up onto his knees and came closer.

I removed my glasses and set them near the trunk of a tree, and then unzipped my jacket and Kiba took it from me.

He kissed me, his tongue sliding into my mouth with the ease of practice. My hands touched his thin waist through mesh, since he had long ago abandoned his own jacket. My fingers found the lower hem of the undershirt and ran over the skin beneath it.

Kiba jumped and giggled. "Yeah, you're getting better at that, too."

He pushed me onto my back and one knee was planted on either side of my hips. Then, there was more kissing, and more banter, and more laughing. It didn't lead to sex, and it wasn't going to from the beginning.

It was… nice. Pleasant.

Fun.

At the end, Kiba was stretched out perpendicular to me, using my stomach as a pillow. He seemed to be falling asleep. He hummed, "…Tell me something that'll make me happy."

"What do you want to hear?"

"Make an executive decision."

I thought a moment. Something to make Kiba happy?

"About Mira."

His voice was tense. "What about her?"

"I haven't had sex with her since the confirmation of her conception."

He sighed and seemed to sink into me a fraction more. "Oh."

"Aburame women have a history of difficult births and pregnancies. I have advised her to be careful. Sex might be too taxing."

He snorted. "Not the way you two do it."

Peaceful quiet. I was never able to be quiet with Mira; if we were in the same room for five minutes, she asked me a question.

I asked, "Was that successful?"

He yawned. "Yeah. It worked fine."

His breathing evened out soon after, and he was asleep.

I lay awake, watching the sun in its journey toward the western side of the world.

I contemplated the meaning of life.

Such an elusive concept…

* * *

Three days after that, I discovered the need for advice.

Mira was two months pregnant, and, for the first time, I noticed her stomach swelling very slightly.

I still had no idea how to be a father.

I could act like Jata, overprotective and vigilant (though she now allowed Itari to carry her own weight into the kitchen). I could act like Iruka, kind and somewhat motherly to begin with. I could act like Kakashi, taking a somewhat ridiculous amount of pleasure in challenging students needlessly.

Or I could act like Father.

…How did Father act?

This was proving difficult.

Thus, noon found me in Baru's kitchen. "I must ask you for advice."

She was cleaning the dishes she had used for lunch half an hour before. "Don't say it like a dirty word, young master. Although, this should be worth at least one of my ears for you to chew, I suppose."

"How should a father act?"

"Mmhmm." She took a long look at me, smiling, as she wiped soup off a bowl. "Right. I hear you. I know just where you're coming from."

This seemed both unclear and unhelpful. "Baru-san?"

She set the dish down and marched up to me, still saying grandly, "You have a very good-looking question right there. Yes indeedy. I know just how to get it answered, actually."

As she took my shoulder and steered me out of the kitchen and through the house, I said, "An answer would be desirable."

"I know just who you should ask, in fact," she said as she open a screen door and pushed me inside without knocking.

Father looked up belatedly from the scroll on which he wrote.

Baru stayed long enough to say, "Best of luck, boys!"

The screen closed. Her footsteps faded.

Father said, "What just happened? I seem to have missed an interesting conversation."

I snapped to attention. "I asked Baru for advice."

"I have found that inadvisable."

"I have, recently, as well."

Several seconds passed.

Father motioned to a chair and I sat. "I assume that your question led to Baru referring you to me."

I stared at Father's hand, still holding his pen. I had interrupted his work. "It will keep."

He put down the pen. "Ask me your question."

"How should a father act?"

He sat back in his chair. "…Ah. I understand."

"I cannot think of the proper behavior."

He nodded. "You know yourself. Think. How much of that is panic?"

I looked to the side.

"The right behavior will be circumstantial. Punishments, rewards… advice." He raised an eyebrow. "You will be surprised, and you will think that you have surely seen everything, now."

"You are telling me that there isn't a certain person that I can emulate?"

He studied me a moment. "Fatherhood isn't a thing that you can learn without experiencing it."

Unknowns made me uncomfortable.

He added, "Always remember; how you treat the child is going to shape the child's likes, dislikes, and personality. It is a great responsibility."

"I have always understood that. Is it simply… trial and error? Nothing else?"

Father then performed a gesture that I had never before witnessed.

His hand came up to his face, his forefinger and thumb rubbed the bridge of his nose, and the dark glasses lifted slightly. The hand moved to his ear, and pulled off the glasses altogether.

I'm sure my mouth dropped open.

Father's eyes.

His _eyes_.

Black kikai inside the iris, twisting and crawling and writhing and moving and living and I could feel the kikai inside my own and it was a very surreal connection.

Father said that an Aburame only showed his eyes to an equal.

I couldn't remember that we were talking about.

My hand rose halfway to my own glasses, because it seemed natural. Then I paused. I had no idea what to do.

Father nodded, and seemed tired.

I took my glasses off.

We looked at each other.

As equals.

Eye contact with Father was unnerving.

Finally, he looked at his work before him. "Shino… My son. Was I an acceptable father?"

I swallowed. "Am I an acceptable son?"

He looked up at me sharply – I had never not answered a question – and then smiled very slightly.

"I see we understand each other."

He put his glasses back on, and I did, too. He went back to his work without dismissing me.

I stood and walked out of the study. I didn't need to wait for a dismissal.

That was…a new experience.

It left me with a feeling greater than the pride of hearing the Hokage say, 'Aburame Shino is a jounin.'

* * *

Four days later, when Sasuke was due to return from the hell of the intelligence headquarters, we stood at attention in the Hokage's office. I was spending more time here than I liked to.

Tsunade was pacing back and forth irritably. "Alright, that little Uchiha prick's punishment is confirmed, and I have no say over what the Council of Elders decides about him in three months' time. And if _anyone_ says _one word_ about what I've chosen to do with this whole situation, there will be _consequences_."

Kiba said, "Uh, Hokage-lady, you're talking to yourself again. And there's steam coming out of your ears."

She turned to us with a bright grin. "You two. Yes. Hello."

"…Hi," Kiba said after a pause.

"You're here to solve my Naruto problem, right?"

Kiba glanced at me. I shook my head a very little bit; I didn't know what she was talking about, either.

Kiba said, "You, um, haven't told us _why_ we're here. At all. You remember that, grandma?"

She whacked him in the back of the head with an open palm. "Shut up, Inuzuka. Take a little vacation for a second, okay? I have business with your brain over here."

Kiba rubbed his head, grumbling viciously about maniacal, short-tempered, age-challenged lunatics.

I nudged him with my elbow. "I'm listening, Hokage-sama."

She squared off with me. Her right hand periodically curled and uncurled, and she shifted on her feet with irritation. "You two are now ANBU."

Kiba was not on vacation. "Dude, that's _awesome_."

"But I'm not putting you in a cell," she finished, threatening Kiba with another hand.

I asked, "What duty will we be given?"

Tsunade said, "You'll be guards."

Kiba groaned.

Tsunade flicked him in the nose. "You'll be guarding _Naruto_, Kiba. How kind of you to ask."

He made a face. "You really think he needs it?"

"I do, yes, since the last time I let him out of the village he got himself emotionally scarred. Honestly, I was thinking of doing this for a while, but Naruto would have protested and I wouldn't have been able to logic it out. Now, it's because he needs to learn to get away from his little love interest."

I said, "You have an ulterior motive."

She gave me a cursory glance and said, "He needs to live through the next bit of the world, I think. He's strong, he's loud, and he's piss-poor at politicking in general. He's pretty much just what this place needs for a little livening up."

"You mean that he's you without the medic-ness and sake," Kiba mumbled unhappily. He took a step back when Tsunade leaned toward him.

The Hokage looked out her window, at the Monument that now showed her full countenance. There were lighthearted rumors that the expression, warped by size and rock consistency, was really evidence that the only way Shizune could get Tsunade to model was through a massive amount of alcohol.

Tsunade said, "I'm getting old."

Kiba was going to say, 'That's for sure,' or something equally unwise. I glanced at him quickly, and he closed his mouth again.

The woman who was using her skills in disguise to mask her age said, "I'm sixty-four, now. Do you have any idea how unsettling that is?"

"I hope to have the opportunity to find out," I said.

"I feel it. You know, the aches and arthritis. Sometimes."

Kiba asked, "So you're going to have Naruto succeed you as Hokage?"

No one said that Naruto would have been blue in the face by now if he had known. Naruto was not the most secretive ninja in Konoha.

Tsunade said, "Not yet, of course. I don't know how long I can defend the village as I am now. Things with Kusa have all but settled down – that battle put them in their place – but those other bastards might try to go for the home front again and we can't have that."

Kiba rocked forward on his feet. "The people who attacked the village weren't Kusa?"

"No." She rubbed her shoulder with her other hand, not looking at us. "I suppose you ought to know, since this whole thing could go pancake-shaped any day now. The village was attacked by Kumo no Kuni."

There was a long silence as Kiba refused to turn his head toward me.

Slowly, Tsunade gathered herself and said, "So, I think that the village is eventually going to wonder. Why we've been negotiating with Kumo, and all that. Kumogakure is currently public enemy number one."

Mira was from Kumogakure.

"To get Naruto… and your families… out of harm's way, I'm relocating you to a little village near our border with Suna. We've built a sort of safe house there, volunteered by a family trying to show their allegiance after a little bit of rebellion."

Move away from Konoha?

"What little village is that?"

She smiled apologetically. "Bujitaihei. Ever heard of it?"

* * *

Maa... so I've figured out how to fix the plot. Hooray for me. Mmm, I'm so looking forward to writing the rest of this. 

So. Stuff happened in this chapter. The scenes, yes, I liked. Not sure how the talk with Father went, but... I was working with two men without personalities. I did, as Dane Cook says, my best. Continuity? Yeah, not so much. Sorry about that one.

I know that a lot of you (more than I anticipated!) have been following me through the winding tangents of my mind for the last seven months faithfully. I love you all beyond words. However, that means that you might not remember Bujitaihei, since that's about six months ago, now.

Bujitaihei in a nutshell (designed to refresh your memory. You could also reread chapters 4-6):

The group: Neji, Lee, Naruto, Shino, Kiba. They have to stop a rebellion. Blah blah blah... heartwarming scenes aside... Kiba dresses as a chick and gets picked up by a married woman instead of devious little rioters... the kid's name is Moyun, not Moron... the woman (Toudai Narame) is the daughter of the leader guy (but he's dead now, so we don't care) and wife of Toudai Otoyo, who is the right-hand man and wants the rebellion thing done with. Blah blah blah... something about Shino being a family man... blah blah blah... death and destruction... meeting Gyo, the bastard... aaaand we're done.

Or, if you want something not flavored with my school-happens-soon rush, again, reread chapters 4-6.

See that? Now it looks like that whole mission served a purpose. It might've even been _planned_. It wasn't, but still. I try.


	28. And:

(Sappy grin) I just finished writing the last scene and I love it. So, you guys will, too. Because I told you to.

But first, some time with a rape victim. Hooray.

Warning: use of the word 'bitch' in a non-insulting way. I know, blasphemy. What can I say?

* * *

When we went to the hospital, Naruto had already been informed of the mission's call for relocation. In fact, he was technically still being told by Sakura, because she seemed to be trying to yell the details louder than he was yelling his protests.

Kiba and I moved just inside the door of the room and waited patiently.

Naruto said, "She can't do that! Just because – because something bad happened, I have to leave Konoha? That's bull!"

Sakura said, matching his volume, "She doesn't know how long it can be before you come back-"

"Isn't it enough that I can't see him anymore?" Naruto hissed. It was rare to see him angry, and he was very, very angry now.

Sakura had been on the same team as both Sasuke and Naruto when we were younger. She was more subdued as she said, "He's not taking this any better than you are, Naruto. I don't know why you can't see him, but I'm sure that, if you talk to Tsunade, she would allow it…"

Naruto shook his head, turning away. "I tried. She's pulled the 'Hokage says' card. After what Sasuke did…"

Sakura was palpably curious. "What _did_ happen?"

Blue eyes tightened, pupils dilated, and the window was assaulted by a hard glare. Suddenly and enthusiastically, Naruto spoke to us, still against the wall. "Hi, Shino and Kiba!"

His voice was loud, but empty. Kiba frowned. Sakura excused herself in surrender before he said, "Naruto, don't you dare pull a Hinata on us."

He blinked and scratched at a bandage on his cheek. The day we had returned from the mission, the skin had been a mottled yellow-purple as though he had been struck, but now it was a thin version of the golden tan of all the rest of him. With effort, his smile spread painfully across his face and he shouted, "Dude! What the hell is up with this moving snafu?"

Kiba shrugged, walking closer. "I don't know. Tsunade wants to keep you safe." He didn't explain about tumultuous politics and Naruto's role in them, since he didn't know about it.

"Taking me away from…" he slowed down, took a deep breath, and then sped back up to an almost-normal cadence, "…from everything I've ever known is not going to be okay. Ever."

I asked, "How are you?"

He ignored me. "Seriously. I've only ever lived in one place, and it's not like I can just up and leave everyone behind. The asshole aside, there's–" a swallow, and he wasn't looking at anything, "- Iruka and Kakashi and Sakura and Hinata and–"

He cut himself off and didn't keep going this time.

Kiba whistled a low, thoughtful tone.

Naruto's eyes moved from left to right and then snapped back again, as though he was reading. He finished with, "Hinata. Oh, no. I'm going to have to leave _Hinata_ here. Alone."

"There is Neji," I said.

"He doesn't count, though, does he?" Kiba murmured softly.

Naruto was looking away again. Sadly, he said, "I just… really, really want… _that_… to have just _not happened_. Everything would be normal, that way. I could stay, and you guys wouldn't need to be guarding me, and I could still go off and ninja in the night with Sasuke." His hands formed into fists, crumpling the thin white blanket in them. "Maybe… maybe if I had done something differently, you know? Everything would be fine. I mean, Sa- _he_ wouldn't have had to do _that_ if I hadn't-"

Cutting him off, Kiba offered, "At least we're coming with you."

Naruto blinked. "I thought the guarding thing was only for inside Konoha. You seriously have to move to that little town place, too?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Shitty. This doesn't make any sense, though!" He was acting like the old Naruto again, but it was still acting. "It's not like Sasuke's hiding behind every corner waiting to – um, do _that_ again."

Kiba joked, "I'll bet you've checked."

He looked haunted for an instant, but it passed and Naruto stuck out his tongue. "It's not like I'm a scaredy cat or anything."

Kiba winked and stood right next to his bed. "Something really bad happened to you, chibi. It's okay if you still check behind things. I'll even help."

"I'm not a little kid. Don't talk down to me." He missed a beat, and then remembered to say, "And don't call me chibi."

Kiba suggested, "You want to me look under the bed for you? See if there are monsters, you know?"

Naruto was confused. "Why would you do that?"

"It's nothing. Just a thing that little kids make their parents do, sometimes. It's an archetypical whatever."

Naruto nodded his mildly resentful understanding. "I just had to look for myself, I guess."

"Yeah." Kiba looked at me. "But now we're here, right?"

Naruto looked at me, too, and said, "Hey, Shino. Sorry for getting you involved in all this. And thanks… for back then."

I said, "You are welcome. I talked to a medic at the front desk. She informed us that you would be released tomorrow."

"Yeah," he said sheepishly, "I'm fine, but Tsunade said I have to stay at least seven days. Despite the… fast-healing-ness kicking in."

"One week from today, will you be ready?" I asked. "To move."

"Maybe. We'll see." He shrugged, and then scratched at the bandage again with a quiet sort of surrender. "Actually, yes. I'll be ready in a week. For sure."

Kiba nodded. "Right. We'll… be around, Naruto. Shino said that the hospital is guarded well enough for us to be useless right now. When you get out, we're going to be around you like chains on your legs. No scampering off to see Sasuke or else I get to never have kids, and Shino only gets to have the one."

Naruto nodded his understanding. "I'll see you later, then."

"Yeah." Kiba came back to the door, where I was still standing. He turned back to say, "I'm here, too. If you want to talk. Or you could talk to Shino, if you enjoy the sympathetic awareness of a wall."

Naruto just laughed and waved us off.

* * *

Dinner that night should have been simpler than it turned out to be. 

Mira, the perfect hostess, invited Hinata and her husband to eat with us. Neji was busy and bowed out of the engagement with grace, leaving an empty place. It was Hinata's suggestion that Kiba fill it, a nice evening with our former genin team. Mira smiled and asked Hinata to please talk to him about it if she saw him.

Once Mira had begun to drift away – we were in the Hyuuga's home, and she was leaving – Hinata said that she didn't think she would see Kiba before dinner, and I assured her that I would get the message to him.

Outside, I sent a tan kikai out to find Kiba with a message. Kiba knew how to read the chakra impression, since it had been necessary on not a few missions to be completely silent.

After the message was delivered, however, the kikai was killed. Kiba explained later that Akamaru had gotten overzealous and snapped his mouth over it, even though I had trained that habit out of him years before.

Now we four sat around the table in silence, so far broken only by Mira's questions to Hinata about daily trivialities. Kiba pushed his vegetables across his plate, trying to avoid eating them. Akamaru had opted for going back to the Inuzuka grounds to entertain himself. I sat silently.

Unexpectedly, my little sister turned toward to Kiba to say, "I heard from Naruto that you're moving away, Nii-chan."

Mira caught this thread with enthusiasm. "What? You're moving, Kiba?"

Kiba blinked at her, surprised. "Yeah. We got the orders this morning…"

"You and Naruto?"

His confusion cleared and he turned to me sternly. "You didn't tell her."

Mira turned to me, concerned. "What?"

I explained, "I am included in the mission."

Mira swallowed.

Kiba rolled his eyes.

Hinata put a hand to her mouth.

Mira choked out, "You're moving?" Her voice was still cheerful, pleasant, and polite.

"Yes, Mira."

Her expression, that of a hostess, stayed in its accustomed place. She repeated, "You're _moving_?"

"Yes, Mira."

She made a small, strangled sound. "You're… um, when? Where? How long?"

"In seven days, to Bujitaihei, and we don't know how long."

"And… and what about _me_?"

"You are free to move with us. In fact, it is advisable that you do so."

She breathed out heavily and leaned her forehead on her palm, elbow on the table. Her black hair fell in a curtain, hiding her face from my sight. "No… no, Shino, I'm _pregnant_. I can't just move to another village."

I said, "You would not be in danger. Far less than you are in Konoha, if all details are considered."

Hinata was pointedly looking away, concentrating on not intruding on whatever was being said. Kiba, on the opposite side of the table from Mira, looked at her with sincere pity.

Mira wasn't looking at anything. "I just moved here. I made friends. It's only been… not even two years, and I have friends here and I have a life and I can't just move…"

Kiba shrugged. "You don't have to come with us, Mira…chan."

"However, it will be better if I am with you when our child is born," I said pensively.

Mira focused on me, and then her black eyes flickered to Kiba and back. She cleared her throat and spoke with determination. "No. No, I will. I'll move. It will be all right. Everything will work out as best as it can be expected."

Kiba said, "You'll probably make new friends really quick. I know this one chick over there with a kid who's like – oh, well, he must be more like five or six by now, but his name's like Moron or something like that –"

Mira sniffed once, experimentally. She wasn't weeping, though she felt the black cosmetics under her eyes for any unintentional moisture. Nasally, she said, "I'm sure I will manage, Kiba."

Kiba didn't pause to listen to her. "And when we went on that mission over there I figured that I'd never see her again, of course, so I just didn't tell her that the whole girl getup was really just a henge – oh, sorry, that's an illusion, I keep forgetting that you didn't learn all this ninja stuff – so I'll bet that to this day she thinks I'm a girl. Even though I told her that Shino and I were siblings, she thought there was something, y'know, _going on_."

Mira's back and arms were growing stiffer with each sentence. Innocently, she commented, "I believe that I remember that mission. The second one you went on after I arrived, wasn't it, Shino?"

It was my turn to participate in the conversation. "Yes. If memory serves."

"It always does," Kiba said gently, smirking at Mira. "And I can remember the one before it, the one we left for the day you got here. Right? The one to Kumogakure."

Mira's head jerked back in surprise. "You went to Kumo? Why? What happened?"

"A negotiation or something like that. Yeah. Shino had to stay with Kurenai in that boring-as-hell meeting, and I got to hang out with Hinata."

Hinata said, "And on the way back, we were attacked without being really attacked."

Kiba growled, "Sweetie, they tried to put a needle through your neck."

Hinata was quiet for a moment, and then said thoughtfully, "You know, we always figured that the attackers then were ninja trying to make it seem like they were Kumo and attacking Konoha, but, after the battle, it seems less likely."

Kiba scratched the skin behind his ear absentmindedly. "Wait, you mean those guys were really Kumo trying to make it seem like they were not Kumo trying to make it seem like they were Kumo?"

Mira was looking from one to the other, nonplussed.

I said, "It is extremely circuitous, but that may have been the beginning of Kumo's aggression toward Konoha. So far the largest manifestation has been the attack on the village itself, but–"

"_What?_" Mira gasped. "Those people… the enemy was _Kumo_? But… why? Why would Kumo attack Konoha?"

Kiba dropped his forearm to the table, leaned forward on it slightly. "Speaking of sensitive information, why do _you_ know, Hinata?"

Hinata's milky eyes dropped to the table. "I fought one. Don't you remember? They were all using henge, disguising themselves with their chakra. I had the Byakugan, so I could see through it – the cloud symbol that they wore on their hitai-ate. I didn't say anything because I thought that everyone knew and simply didn't talk about it…"

"You didn't get curious when two months passed and not a single person mentioned it?" Kiba asked.

"We _do_ talk about it, though. It's not like I never discussed it with anyone at all," Hinata said softly.

"_Who_ talks about Kumo attacking us?"

She blushed. "All of the Hyuugas know…"

"Well, of course all of you guys know, you've got x-ray eyes," Kiba sulked.

Mira murmured, "I wonder if anyone I knew was killed."

There was a stunned silence, and then Kiba said carefully, "From now on, Mira, how about you try really, really hard not to sound like you're sympathizing with – what was Tsunade's phrase? – 'public enemy number one'. It's bad enough that you're _from _there."

My wife blinked rapidly, stood, bowed, and muttered something to excuse herself. She was nearly running when she got to the hall.

Hinata and Kiba simultaneously decided that they should leave.

* * *

The next day, I stood in the hallway of my home, facing a wooden screen. 

I didn't knock. The screen slid open in a clattering din that seemed more familiar then ever before. I stepped quietly – not silently, because stealth was discourteous – into Father's study. He was in his seat, bent over his desk, as always.

I waited until he looked up, but not for him to speak first. Respectfully, I said, "I have received a long-term guard mission."

He did not react physically. "For how long?"

"Undetermined."

"Who?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Why?"

"…Consequences of answering would presumably be considered treason."

"Ah. His political trials begin."

Logic was a reflex, and the nature of our profession sharpened it to an instinct. Of course he knew. I didn't need to ask how.

I did not reply.

He asked, "You have more to say?"

"The issue is _where_," I said, suppressing a flare of formless trepidation.

"Oh?" He sounded interested. "Where, then?"

"A village called Bujitaihei on the border between Hi no Kuni and Suna."

He considered this. "A long-term mission of an indefinite amount of time in a distant village. That could prove problematic."

"Tsunade had ordered that we move there. Physically. Intending a form of permanence."

Above his dark glasses, Father's eyebrows drew together. "'We'?"

"Kiba and I. We are both assigned to guard Naruto."

"And your young wife?"

"She has agreed to accompany us."

He considered this, as well. Slowly, he said, "You are leaving." A short pause. "When?"

"If all goes well, six days."

Nodding, he said, "Soon. Do you require assistance in anything?"

I shifted uncomfortably. Father was not acting within normal parameters. "Packing our belongings, perhaps. I will keep you informed." I bowed and began to leave.

Quietly, Father said, "I will miss you."

I stopped. After a moment, I said, "And I will miss you, also, Father," without turning around.

I left.

* * *

There were audible peals of laughter inside the Uchiha house. Clear, happy, childlike laughter. 

Kiba knocked first.

The laughter stopped abruptly. I few seconds passed, and then there was an unnatural silence as chakra approached without footfalls. The door opened.

There stood Jata.

Kiba said, "Whoa. Hi. Um, was that you laughing?"

No reaction. She was waiting for Kiba to ask a less stupid question.

I said, "No, Kiba. Jata was not laughing."

Kiba made a face at me. "Well, yeah, but I was just wondering since that Mikoto baby thing is only like a week and a half old and babies don't learn to laugh that fast. And I figured, 'Jata's right here and maybe she would laugh like that if she could laugh at all'..."

Jata did not twitch.

I asked, "Would Jata laugh with such innocence?"

Kiba lifted a shoulder to me defensively. "Well, then, who was laughing?"

"Most likely Itari. I observed a similar clear, pure quality to her voice when she sang."

Jata's violet eyes slid over to me, and she held out her hand, palm up. Seeing no other appropriate action, I put my hand in hers. She held my hand more tightly and turned to lead me into the building. I followed for a few steps, but when Kiba took one step inside, we stopped. Jata looked at Kiba without candor or invitation.

I said, "Kiba would also like to come in."

No reaction.

Kiba reached to take my other hand. He explained, "I'm with him."

For a long moment, nothing. Then, Jata seemed to accept this and pulled both of us forward.

We entered what seemed to be the living room. Itari was on the far right edge of a low, well-cushioned bench and surrounded by a cloud fluffy blankets of all colors. A smaller cloud rested over what were presumably Itari's arms. She recognized us and a wide smile spread even wider. "Hi! Shino-kun, Kiba-kun, look, I've got a baby!"

Kiba started to bounce forward with excitement. He had a certain weakness for young things.

Jata was suddenly in front of him, stopping him from rushing forward. She led the way over and stood over us oppressively, making it difficult to get near enough to distinguish the pink of cotton enthusiastically announcing Mikoto's gender from the pink of Mikoto's skin. A small amount of hair on the crown of her head stuck out as a vivid black. She seemed to be fast asleep, making soft, hiccupping noises occasionally.

Slowly, giving Jata time to stop him without any unnecessary force, Kiba put out his hand to touch the very top of the little baby's forehead. It creased. He pulled his hand back and breathed, "Aww, Itari-chan, she's adorable…"

Itari wiggled in her seat with excitement. "Isn't she? I've been having fun, because Jata only lets me change Miko's diaper every third time or something – it's like blasphemy for me to move, almost – and the biggest challenge so far has been breastfeeding. It pinches!"

There was a general air of discomfort from the area around Jata.

Itari interpreted it as, "She would do that herself, too, except that I'm the one with milk."

Kiba bit on his first knuckle and began cultivating a deep blush.

Itari's right arm wasn't under Mikoto, apparently. She brought it up and stretched her fingers out to run a finger around the edge of Jata's ear. "You're already doing so much, though, sweetie! Don't worry about me so much."

The arm dropped over the edge of the cushions again, shifting around for a few seconds before it found what it wanted and settled.

Kiba whined, "Don't talk about stuff like that in front of a guy!"

I moved back and around, circumnavigating the cushions.

Itari sounded as though she shrugged. "It's not like you really _count_."

A small, black shape was huddled directly behind where Itari sat on the other side of a wooden structure with more pillows for her back.

Kiba coughed, "Sh-shut up! I do so count! I've got all the bits and everything!"

The black shape, which I had first assumed to be another blanket made dark by shadow, grew a pale face as it lifted its forehead from its knees.

Itari said, "Size _does_ matter, you know."

The black shape's left arm was extended behind it. It created an angle with Itari's where their hands tangled together.

"…Not that you really _have_ to tell me…"

Uchiha Sasuke looked broken.

I said, "After this visit, we are going to the hospital to accompany Naruto as he is released. From that point on, we will be guarding him. In six days, he will be relocated for his protection."

There was an absolute silence. Mikoto hiccupped.

Sasuke said, in a trained, level monotone, "Protection from me."

Kiba started. He hadn't known that Sasuke was there.

I answered, "Yes."

His black eyes slid away. "As long as… As long as he's safe from everything else, too. I won't do anything if I know that he'll be safe from everything, including me."

Sasuke's skin was turning dead white where Itari gripped it.

"He will be."

He whispered, "Don't let anything hurt him anymore."

Mikoto chose this moment to cry, a long, sustained sound.

Jata bent as the waist and moved her fingers in front of Mikoto's nose. They became the center of the baby's world as her eyes followed their random progress through her personal space.

Itari said, "That was three seconds. You have a way with children!"

Kiba was looking at me and said wistfully, "Yeah, you have a truly open personality."

Jata picked up Mikoto and produced what seemed to be a finger puppet from wherever she normally kept her weapons.

I led Kiba out of the room after we said our goodbyes.

Sasuke said, as we left, "Aburame. You were right. Tell him I'm sorry."

Jata was moving the finger puppet mechanically, without a single word. Itari still found her amusing enough to begin the blithe, happy laughter up again.

* * *

Six days were a very long time to a ninja. 

I didn't have many items that I absolutely needed to bring. My clothes, weapons, and necessary scrolls fit into three normal-sized mission bags. It was more difficult to remind myself not to narrow it down to the usual one.

The day before we were to leave, Kiba, Naruto, and I acquired a cart. Merchants used them to move smaller amounts of goods. Naruto said, "Hey, it's technically a mission, right? So I'll send the bill to Tsunade."

When it was packed, I had three bags, Kiba five, and Naruto four. Mira filled the rest with everything she considered essential.

We slept. I woke my wife before dawn and we prepared in near-darkness.

Kiba and Naruto were already outside our gate. The cart had been kept within the Aburame walls overnight, for safety.

An empty area of the cart had been lined with blankets for Mira to sit. Kiba, Naruto, and I were used to traveling an entire day at a time; Mira was pregnant and had to use caution.

Kiba asked, "Has everyone said goodbye?"

Naruto took a flat disc of pale stone out of his pocket and examined it critically. It signified that the bearer had mastered all aspect of the Byakugan technique. "Yeah," he said with certainty.

I nodded, thinking of Father.

Mira said, "Yes."

Kiba's hand hung at his side, and Akamaru took the opportunity to lick it.

"Right. We're off."

* * *

We stopped at sundown. Two tents were set up as quickly as we could manage, and then a fire and dinner followed appropriately. Natural movements, repeated a hundred times before and after. 

Mira had become ill from the unpredictable jerking of the cart. She immediately went to sleep in our tent. I was going to investigate, but Kiba told me that it was just 'sadness sickness' and she would probably rather be alone.

Near the road was a natural hot spring, part of the reason why we stopped at this particular place. We decided that another day and a half of traveling would be much more pleasant with the aid of warm water.

Kiba came in last, Naruto sitting a few feet away and trying not to stare at my thin white scars.

There was a companionable silence, broken by Kiba stretching and yawning, "I'm really going to miss my tent, you know?" He realized what he had said and added, "Ick, sorry. I just had a Soro moment."

I asked, "Will they give your tent to another to use while you are away?"

He looked at me in horror. "Ew. No. No no no. Eeeeewwww." He paused and regained his composure, running his tongue back and forth on his teeth to scrape off some offending taste. "I'm written all over the materials, see? The thing's practically glue together with my blood. Another person using it… would be like someone wearing L- _Gai_'s green speedsuit thing. After he'd done five days' worth of training in it. Without a wash."

Naruto groaned. "Kami on a crutch, Kiba, I just ate dinner!"

Kiba ignored him. "No, they'll just store it somewhere. You know, some tents are handed down through families until they're all patch?"

"Sounds like a cheap bit of real estate," Naruto commented.

Kiba poked him in the arm, probably sticking him with a slightly-sharper-that-usual human fingernail. "No, it's really complicated. Those are the ones with personality, and they're treated like members of the family itself. Girls can live with their family until they get a mate, but guys move out into those bachelor ones at fifteen or so. They generally just move in with their bitch when it's finalized and they're definitely going to live together."

Naruto grumbled, "You shouldn't call a girl a bitch, Kiba…"

Kiba blinked at him, uncomprehending. He understood after reviewing his own words. "Oh. Right. No, not like that. The… the female. You know, the bitch. The girl."

Naruto shifted, relaxed, and then grumbled, "This is weird. _Relaxing_ and _traveling_ don't go together. _Mission_ and_ traveling_ go together. _Relaxing_ and _mission_ equal _death_."

"Hopefully it isn't going to, in this case," Kiba muttered, just as uncomfortable.

I said, "We will survive this."

"Are you sure?" he shot back immediately.

"Yes."

"Yeah. Of course you are. You always are, about everything." Kiba looked at the stars. Almost offhandedly, he finished with, "That's another reason why I love you." He moved closer to me, and then glanced at Naruto.

The blond shrugged. "You'd be surprised at how little I care what you do in front of me. Spend enough time with Iruka, especially with Kakashi around, and… well. You know." He cautioned us sarcastically, "Just don't shout _no_ suddenly or… go too far, if you know what I mean. Might wake up my friend Mr. Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome."

Kiba shrugged and leaned over me. While Naruto was hidden by his body, the glasses were taken away. There was kissing, and then tongue-battling, and then he set his hairline against mine and my glasses were back. He sat back, a ludicrous, lopsided grin on his face. "Hey, that's fun!"

Naruto chuckled. "Welcome to the future. Things'll be different from here on out, right, guys?"

* * *

You know, Adi, I think this is the first time you haven't reviewed a chapter of Lies before I put the next one up. I mean, Heaven I understand, it doesn't matter much, anyway. We're getting close to the second month on Sleep is Simon. You owe me something like twelve reviews. Yet, somehow, this twinges worse than the other things. 


	29. Possible

In which Kiba regales us with a story about one set of his scars. And other stuff happens, too, probably.

-----

When we first arrived in Bujitaihei, Toudai Narame and Otoyo greeted us. There was a festive hour as it was explained to Narame that, no, Kiba was not a girl in disguise as a boy but had been in an opposite situation previously. Moyun, their son, could not be persuaded to stop calling 'Chi', an odd perversion of the false name I had given them before. Apparently, he had heard the story often enough to recognize me, even at six years of age.

It took three hours to unpack and settle into the Toudai family's second home. Or, at least, settle as much as we allowed ourselves. Naruto was still petulantly grumbling at dinner that night.

Days passed, and we received communication and orders for rudimentary missions fit for genin. After that was the mission report, and then training until the next order came. Our days progressed into something in sight of normalcy quickly enough.

Mira seemed to manage. She and Narame were fast friends, and sometimes Mira would watch Moyun long enough for his parents to orchestrate an escape attempt.

Days became weeks became months, with Mira's stomach swelling each day. Occasionally, she and Narame disappeared to attend something instructional to prepare for the apparently imminent birth – which was weeks away.

Life was normal, by a shinobi's standards.

-----

One night, Mira tensed her back suddenly and startled me awake. Apparently, it also woke her, because she gasped and it turned into a pained groan. Her back arched, lifting her ponderous stomach from the bed.

Her hand found my arm, nails digging helpfully into my skin. "Shino!" she choked.

"I'm awake," I said. "You are in pain."

"No," she said more softly. Her back relaxed gratefully back to the bed and she said, "I'm in labor. I mean, I think I'm having contractions. I mean that I need to get to that room. And I need a medic. I don't care what order they come in. Shino, I'm in _labor_!"

I was dressed by this time, and had retrieved a set of her warmest maternity clothes. "Would you like help dressing?"

I steadied her as she stood. She didn't appear to be in pain at the moment, but still took my offer when struggling to clothing.

As I was assisting her with her coat, she doubled over. I dropped the coat and wrapped one arm across her hips, beneath the bulge of her stomach. The other held her shoulders still, keeping her from pitching forward. She held her hand over her mouth, tightly groaning in the darkness.

It passed after about ten seconds, and I finished dressing her. Her hands were shaking enough to hinder her ability to open a screen door steadily.

I opened the door for both of us.

In the hallway stood Kiba, Naruto, and Akamaru. Kiba was leaning against the wall casually, Akamaru had his ears flat to his head, and Naruto was fidgeting with a presumably empty thigh holster.

Kiba immediately took Mira's other elbow.

All of us made our way down the hallway, stagger slightly as Mira pushed her weight onto me and then Kiba in a slowly, remarkably steady movement.

Softly, Kiba said, "Naruto told Narame, and she's nipped off for a medic. Remember, you're going to be in the traditional room for – uh, for this kind of thing…" He broke off and sniffed, and Akamaru growled mournfully.

He handed Mira a towel. "Um, put that… somewhere useful. Your water is going to break in about thirty seconds, give or take."

She took the towel in one hand dumbly, and then tried to double over again. This time, Naruto come from behind her for a bear hug which involved various more intimate areas by accident, though none of us were in a mind to care – or notice.

I let go of Mira's arm to take the towel and make use of it beneath her dress. There was a sudden, uncomfortable wetness, and Mira squeaked. I stood up once more and said, "That was a very… different experience."

Kiba was holding his nose, and smiled sympathetically. "Do us all a favor and get that towel as far away from here as you see fit. Akamaru'll follow it and rip it to shreds, but at least, he'll be away from here."

I delegated the task to a detail of kikaichu. They buzzed dutifully away to the north, intent on leading the agitated but enthralled massive dog away to a remote area.

Kiba and Naruto had continued on with ira at a glacial pace, struggling through each step.

Mira was physically able to walk – in between the occasional contractions, about three or four minutes apart – but seemed to be in hysterics.

Naruto said, "What's she babbling about?"

Kiba shushed him, and spoke gently. "She says she wants her mother. Man, having a kid out here in the boonies – I mean, she hasn't got any really close friends besides Narame. She's terrified, poor thing."

There was another contraction before we reached the designated room and Mira was situated. Two more, with decreasing intervals, before the medic arrived.

She was sure, authoritative, and in her late forites. All men were promptly shoved out of the room.

We sat in the next room down, with a faint, dampened scream coming from the other side of the wall every two minutes or so.

Naruto asked, "Kiba, how did you know to do all that stuff?"

Kiba was sitting in close next to me against the wall. He shrugged without modesty and said unsteadily, "I've helped with things like this. Kind of. I mean, just with animals before, because no Inuzuka man is stupid enough to be around a birthing bitch."

Naruto, on the far side of Kiba from me, kicked his foot.

Kiba corrected himself, "Chick. Mother. Not a human one, for sure, and especially not when she's got a mate because that just leads to – well, to bloodshed. Instinctive, sort of. 'You, with the sharp teeth and claws, get away from my vulnerable bitch and new pups'… kind of thing. You get the gist. Only safe for women. So basically, all of my survival instincts are telling me to run as far away from you," he moved his arm against me, "as I can."

I said, "I'm not going to fight you."

"Yeah, I know," Kiba said breathlessly, "but my feet don't. Do me a favor and don't make any sudden movements, okay?"

Mira screamed again, and Kiba tensed.

Naruto asked, "How did you know about… well, you know, her water breaking?"

Kiba pointed to nose. "Her smell went completely wonky. Hormones were practically coming out her eyes. Trust me, anyone can smell that. Especially Akamaru. Some instincts are not as helpful in the modern age as others. Like the one about weak females bringing easy hunting into the world."

"He won't try to do anything extremely not good later, will he?" I asked sharply.

"Oh. No. It's just the smell. Trust me, it goes away soon enough. It'll be fine a couple of hours after someone gets rid of the placenta – and no, Naruto, I'm not going to explain what that is so shut your mouth."

Naruto reluctantly closed the orifice in question.

I said, "It seems that you have finally found a subject in which you excel," I said dryly.

"Hey, don't be mean. It's just that when I was eight, my cousin had a kid."

"A girl in your generation got pregnant when you were eight?" Naruto asked.

Kiba swatted him in the head. "No, retard. She's my mother's uncle's sister-by-marriage's third cousin's daughter, but I decided for the sake of your sanity and mine to shorten it to just 'cousin'."

Naruto grumbled something that sounded very similar to, "She's probably both. And your aunt, too."

"What was that, chibi?"

"Nothing! Ow, cut it out, jackass, I have a headache already! And don't call me 'chibi'!"

I picked Kiba up by the arm and disentangled him from Naruto. Sitting us down together, I prompted, "Your cousin had a child."

"Right, yeah. So I was all alone with her in the tent – on guard duty, you know, just in case – and then the whole place smelled orangey-green and it was thick enough to chew your way through. She smelled it, too, and told me to call for anyone, and that translated to shouting for help instead of running to get them directly – yeah, Naruto, I was a dumb kid, stop sniggering like that – and the first person to show up was her mate."

He sat forward and started unzipping his jacket.

Naruto whistled, "Yeah, take it _off_!"

Kiba threw the heavy material at him and said, "Shut up, Naruto, or I'm seriously going to hit you in the face."

Mira's renewed screaming punctuated his words, only this time forming phrases, which were indistinct yet still far from complimentary.

He pointed to his left shoulder, to an old scar where a small chuck of meat had been removed entirely. I had seen it before, but didn't know its story. In general, if you weren't present when a scar was formed, you didn't need to know how it came to be where it was. Kiba twisted his body the other way, resituating himself so that we could see the front of the same shoulder. There were four more scars, again forming little craters where muscle had been torn out. The spacing was ridiculously wide, but other than that, it seemed to be a fine caricature of five finger-marks.

Kiba came back to sit with us. "So, yeah, her sonuvawhore mate decided that an eight-year-old, skinny little academy kid was too much a threat and took me by the shoulder to show me the door. Except that he was reacting to the scent and getting ready for a battle and his nails were long enough to stick me. So, of course, he didn't even notice until he threw me about ten feet to get me away and I kinda stuck, a little, only he threw me hard enough for me not to stick for very long. So, yeah. That's how I learned about the joys of life."

Naruto poked Kiba's shoulder, next to him. "How come his hand was so big? That's monster."

"Because I was an eight-year-old, skinny little academy kid _then_, but I'm not _now,_" Kiba explained with exaggerated patience.

Naruto nodded his understanding slowly.

The sounds in the other room reached a fever pitch, a plateau, and a resolution.

All three of us held out breath.

Two seconds later, there was a wail.

We all exhaled, and then Naruto and Kiba were both congratulating me.

I said, "I didn't do any of the work."

Naruto laughed, "Yeah, your part was fun – ow! Goddamn it, Kiba, stop hitting – _ow_!"

-----

It was more than half an hour before the aging medic came down to our room. She was unrolling the sleeves of a practical brown dress as she said, "The lady's resting. Who here is the father?"

Two fingers pointed at me.

She directed her piercing gaze at me. "She's in there with the boy. Don't leave them alone for long. If she tries to move, stop her; she's still bleeding, the normal sort of bleeding, that's natural, but I'm worried about the color of it as it first started. There's the danger of her staring to hemorrhage if she does anything stupid. Now, I was woken up rather rudely in the middle of the night, so I'm not going to be any help to her if I stand vigil for the rest of it. I'll be in here, resting, if there's an emergency."

I nodded, indicating a vague grasp of what she was lecturing about.

She waited a moment, and then pointed to the door and repeated with perfect elocution, "_I'll be in here, resting_."

Before her last syllable, we were all out in the hall and the door was sliding closed.

Naruto shuddered. "I wonder if that's a nurse thing, or if she just knows Sakura?"

I ignored him and walked down to the room where the rest of my family was staying.

I stepped through the door to see Mira, visibly exhausted, buried in damp towels and soft blankets. In her arms was another human being.

A male human being.

My son.

I approached slowly, assuming that they were both asleep. He – the unnamed child – was forcing air in and out of his lungs with strength, a clean draw, in and out with a steady rhythm that gave the entire world a beat to follow and _I had a son_.

He had been alive under his own power for nearly an hour.

…There was no time to waste.

I nearly touched my son, but then remembered that he had a far weaker immune system than I without the kikaichu. My fingers pulled away reluctantly.

He was pink, and his cheeks were full and soft-looking, and he had only the barest layer of fuzz in lieu of hair.

My son.

I shook Mira's shoulder gently, enough to wake her. She tightened her arm around her son, and then opened her eyes – she wasn't wearing her glasses. The moving tan of her eyes focused reluctantly on me. "Shino?" a hoarse voice managed.

I said, "Mira. We must act quickly."

Her brows drew together. "What? Why?"

"The naming ceremony."

She nodded in recognition, but didn't move to allow me to touch the baby. Instead, she unravelled the blanket from around his fat stomach and appendages. When she had him situated again, she raised him slightly. "What are you going to name him?"

"I haven't thought of it yet. It would be unfair to name him without seeing him first." I held my hand over his stomach and summoned kikaichu. They writhed and crawled over and under my skin – out to scuttle along the outline of a tendon, in at the knuckle, out again at the tip of the finger – and then I touched my son. A mass of black and, once, a flash of tan, swarmed onto and into him.

He awoke suddenly and screamed fit to burst my eardrums.

I held him down, sending still more into him, knowing that I was correctly remembering the lectures and education in Aburame tradition that I had received a hundred times over in my adolescence.

Mira knew all the ceremonies as well, and she wasn't protesting. That was enough affirmation to me. However, she was sobbing and talking quietly to her child, trying to sing through a tired scratchiness.

I stopped, having sent in half the required amount to found a colony.

Mira looked up as I moved my arm away. "Is that really enough?"

"You must give the rest."

Her eyes filled with fear. "No, I can't. I don't even know how to control them…!"

"They know what to do better than either of us." I took firm hold of her wrist and pressed her hand flat to our son's belly, already marked with healing cuts and bruises.

I felt the kikaichu move under the skin of her wrist, and watched the mass exodus of tan shells, shiny with the candlelight illuminating the room. She was screaming and trying to wrench her hand away, and our son was screaming in an eerie harmony, and then it was enough and I let her go. All parts of her sprang away from him on reflex.

I picked him up carefully, taking the blanket with me. One hand rested in the small of his back, forearm supporting his pelvis and legs, and the other held the base of his head still and solid.

He squirmed uncomfortably, still bawling, little bumps racing hectically under the skin of his shoulders and arms and hands. He was so small.

A name for him.

Obviously, the first syllable would be 'Shi', a tradition for the head of the clan…

Kiba, at the doorway, said, "What the bloody fucking hell is going _on_ in here?"

I said, "Shiki."

The kikaichu learned their new host's name and settled, burrowing deeper into him. He wriggled a few moments more and then calmed, breathing harder and crying more quietly.

With a singular focus, I wrapped the blanket around Shiki and tucked him against me, one arm under him and the other on his far side.

Then, I looked at Mira.

She was staring at Kiba with the most horrified expression I would ever see on her pretty face. Her mouth dropped open, her eyes flitted from Shiki, to me, to Kiba, and then she began to scream again. It was not out of pain, and was sharper for it; she seemed to have evolved past the need for oxygen. Her hands went to her ears, fingers knotting themselves in her hair and freezing in an uncomfortable position. She began to shake her head, quickly, throwing black hair everywhere.

She struggled to throw the blankets away from her and sit up. She made it to her feet and tried to run before she walked, but Kiba took her by both elbows.

He put his face close to hers and hissed, "You're an idiot. The medic warned you about moving, didn't she? You're in danger of hemorrhaging still, and if that happens you could die! You don't want that, do you? What will your son do without you, Mira? What will Shino do? You aren't thinking!"

They were both silent for a long beat, as I tried to master the art of rocking my son to sleep as I had seen Itari doing with Mikoto so long ago.

Mira jerked her right arm free and slapped Kiba as hard as she could. It wasn't enough to turn his head. She spat back, "I conceived him. I carried him. I delivered him. These," she gestured to her breasts, which had reportedly swollen two sizes in the last few months, "this," her distended stomach, "is all for him. That boy is _mine_!"

"Ours," I murmured, endeavoring to wipe Shiki's eyes with a corner of the soft blanket. He was tranquil, occasionally opening and closing his mouth experimentally or twitching an extremity to discourage the movement of a barely-visible traveling bump.

Kiba gave me a meaningful look. I was not helping the situation. He whispered, "I'm not trying to do anything to your son, Mira. He's yours, and he's Shino's. You've beaten me, alright? You've done something beautiful and amazing and it's something that I could never do for him. You've won. They're yours."

She was weeping, sinking down as her knees failed. Kiba moved her back to the bed tenderly. "Didn't you hear his name?"

"Shiki," Kiba said solemnly.

She held his sleeve in a frantic grip. "Don't you know what that _means_?" she gasped.

"It doesn't mean anything."

"I've seen how he is with you! To him… both of you together are 'we'. With us, it's 'Mira and I'." She buried her face in her hands. "I thought it was just that he wasn't used to us being married! It was just new! But it's been more than a year and it's still '_We were training_' and '_Mira and I will come to dinner_'. I'm not an idiot!"

Shiki's face wrinkled as it pinched in preparation for more tears.

Kiba said, "You can't read anything into it. _He_ doesn't. It's just… natural for him. None of it's up here," Kiba said, poking himself in the temple.

I held Shiki closer to me. He calmed down.

"That's what makes it worse," she sighed, losing her energy. She either slept or fainted.

Kiba slowly stood, rocking back on his heels, dragging all ten fingers through his hair, and breathing through his teeth. He looked up, stalked toward me, and said icily, "You have no heart." He stormed out of the room, closing the screen softly enough on his way out.

I sat on the edge of the bed, cradling the helpless little person in my arms silently. I stayed awake the rest of the night, careful to let both of the others in the room have their rest.

Once, near dawn, Shiki's eyes half-opened. Two irises, one black and one tan, blinked at me once and then slid closed.

I would need to acquire sunglasses, I reminded myself.

-----

One week of new experiences - sleepless nights, the science of diapers, an in-depth education on the mysteries of breast feeding - passed as a dreamlike blur.

The first visitor of many was Shikamaru. He was passing through on his way to Suna from Konoha, and stopped overnight for recuperation and copious amounts of alcohol. Mira agreed to watch Shiki one her own, and I joined Naruto and Kiba to heard the news of our village.

Shikamaru raised his glass with his left hand, absentmindedly flicking the fingers of the otehr as though repeatedly counting to three.

Naruto asked, "Doesn't that hurt?"

"It's been four months, Naruto," Shikamaru rolled his eyes. In the face of Naruto's incomprehension, he clarified mockingly, "So, no, in fact, it doesn't."

Naruto shrugged. "Sorry! I have a bad measure of how quickly normal people heal!"

"Maybe we should blow two of your fingers off and see if they just grow back altogether," Kiba joked.

Naruto tilted his head. "No, that sounds kind of like a bad idea..."

I took the rest of Naruto's sake away from him before it convinced him otherwise.

Kiba waved his hand in front of him to help him talk. "Tell us again, O Hero of Negotiations."

Shikamaru sighed and rattled off, "Tsunade, Gaara, Temari, and I were at the ass end of an seven hour meeting when some chuunin kid flickered into the room and shouted something about Kumo being number one or something equally obtuse. He lit an exploding tag, so I jutsu'd him into throwing it out the nearest window, but it wasn't going to make it. Luckily, my hand got in the way of Temari's face and the next thing I know I'm operating in base eight."

Naruto pitched his voice two octaves higher. "How brave and un-lazy you are!"

Shikamaru still had his right middle finger, though it was technically a bit off-center.

I asked, "Why did you block Temari and not either the Kazekage or the Hokage?"

He sobered considerably. "She was closer, is all."

Kiba snorted into his drink.

Shikamaru changed the subject. "Nice-looking kid you've got, Aburame."

"Thank you," I said automatically.

Kiba cut in. "How does Ino feel about you protecting Temari so uncharacteristically?"

"Well, I dunno, Inuzuka, she only kind of dumped me two months ago."

Kiba's mouth dropped open. "Really? But you guys've been going out for, like, three _years_!"

"And she calculated that I've been going to Suna for negotiations for four."

"Yeah, but it's not like the _whole time_ you and Temari were-"

Shikamaru shrugged noncommitally.

Naruto said, "Oh, hell, Shikamaru! What were you thinking? Even _I_ know that you're not supposed to go with two girls at once!"

He did, apparently, have a temper, though it was usually buried under layers of lethargy. He said, "No, Uzumaki, you just figure that it's okay to sleep with a woman as long as she doesn't _actually_ love her husband."

Naruto turned red and searched for his stolen sake.

I asked, "How is Hinata?"

"Well enough. Halfway done with being pregnant, actually."

All three of us were taken completely by surprise.

He looked around at us. "What? Didn't I mention that the last time I was here?"

Naruto stood up and left. Watching him go, Kiba growled, "You know damn well that you didn't mention it. If that was a lie just to get back at Naruto, it was a lousy thing to do."

Shikamaru finished his drink and shrugged again. "It's not a lie, but I _would_ be lying if I said that I wasn't keeping it for just such an occasion. If he's interested later, tell him that it's going to be twins according to Tsunade."

Kiba sighed. "Can I ask you a question?"

"If you're going to ask me another one, go ahead."

"Did you love Ino at all, or was it for sex?"

Shikamaru squinted up at the ceiling. "I did love her, after a fashion. Not the same as Temari, but... it's not like I was just lonely, either. Shit, I'd even sometimes go for about a month with having anything physical with Ino... you'd think I would have been smart enough to break it off then, huh?"

Kiba said philosophically, "Book smarts don't amount to much in that department, I've found."

I said, "That reminds me. What is the protocol for sex after a child is born?"

Kiba blinked at me, realized what that question meant, and set his glass down merrily.

Shikamaru laughed. "Logically... you should wait until you're in the mood before even talking about it with her. Definitely not until the kid can go more than an hour without needing either of you dressed and ready."

Kiba euphorically drawled, "Or, y'know, until you want another kid. One seems like more than enough, though."

Shikamaru laughed again and said, "No man can go that long without some nookie, Inuzuka." Then, he paid and sauntered away to sleep in the second house's extra room.

Kiba winked. "Well, then, I guess it's a good thing that I'm keeping that appetite of yours at bay, hmm?"

I said, "Yes, I was also wondering what the protocol was for _that_, as well..."

"Whatever we want it to be, Shino. Trust me, we'll be able to work something out. Now, come on - you need to get back to that wife of yours."

-----

I was a bit iffy about Mira's reaction. But then I thought about it... and, yeah, I would react the same way. So it stayed. And Kiba was even trying to be nice to her, so pack your parka before heading off to Hades.

Oh, and all that stuff about Inuzuka customs - actually, most of the custom stuff in the entire story - is all me flying by the seat of my comfy flannel pajamas. It's just... what's really _custom_ in a world where you could get shanked by a shemale with ice powers at any moment? (For those of you who haven't gotten through the first ten episodes... that's a reference to Haku. I know, I'm vague.) Including weddings, and the Aburame things (augh, why do we know so little about that goddamn family?)... it's all from the top of my head. Neat, though, right?


	30. Death

I don't want to talk about it.

Writer's block, followed closely by a consistently inconsistent sleep cycle, two full days to write this once I was motivated and got Mira to behave. I'm operating on three hours' sleep. Only I think that, in the middle of proofreading this, I may have nodded off for about ten minutes.

Right. Oh, and three years have passed between this chapter and the last.

* * *

Before dawn, I was dressed and rechecking my weapons as Mira sat up. She had grown more accustomed to rising when I did, in the four years since our marriage. She said, "Training today?"

I said, "Yes."

"With Kiba?"

"No. I told you before."

A pause, and then her neutral tone turned displeased. "Oh. That's right."

I was finished, and said, "We will likely be finished by lunchtime. We'll return then."

She sighed, watched me take two steps toward the door of our room, and said, "Shino. I wish you wouldn't."

I looked back at her in surprise. "It's tradition. Three years. We have already discussed this."

It had been an argument that she had lost.

"I know that you're going to ignore my opinion either way," she said tartly. "I just wish you wouldn't. What if he's hurt?"

"He will learn to overcome pain. That is what a shinobi does."

Now, she took a deep breath, composed herself, and gave me her best no-nonsense tone. "He doesn't have to be a shinobi."

I blinked, and stared at her for a full minute. "…Oh. No." I waited for my mind to process this suggestion. "No. No, we'll be back around lunchtime."

When I began to leave, she called me back. "There's one more thing that I want to talk to you about," she said slowly, now slightly uncomfortable.

When she didn't go on, I prompted, "What is it?"

"I want… to move out. Find our own home, I mean."

I was confused. We had lived in the second Toudai home for more than three years, without incident. "Why?"

"Well… We've been here a long time, and I don't think that we should continue living off of Narame's and Otoyo's kindness, and then I'll have more to worry about and keep me occupied, and really I don't think that we should bother Naruto and Kiba with our problems. It's bad enough already that they both have to watch Shiki so often."

"Neither of them has ever expressed that sentiment, and as far as I can tell both feel that they are something like uncles to our son."

"Yes," she said darkly, "I'm well aware of how close Kiba – and Naruto, of course – has become with Shiki, but I feel that we should try raising him… on our own. You know, independently. By ourselves."

"But the mission that brought us here could be concluded any time," I said. "It is temporary. It would not be wise to settle into any permanent dwelling."

She laughed in mild disbelief. "We're not supposed to settle? Shino, our son is three years old today, and he's never lived anywhere else! I've lived in Bujitaihei longer than I lived in Konoha! We only get unreliable hearsay as news, let alone the – what, three visitors? In as many years! Besides Shikamaru, and people just passing through on missions to Suna, I mean. Shibi has only seen his grandson _once_, and it's already been two years! Hinata came ten months ago and could only stay for five days because there was a celebration for her sister's promotion into ANBU!"

"We receive news of Konoha often," I reminded her.

She threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood, saying firmly, "That's the thing. Life over there is still moving! Meanwhile, we're stuck here, not daring to really live but with no end of our stay in sight. Don't you think that we're missing out on things?"

"Like what?"

"Like… I don't know! The big things. The small things." She laughed, and calmed herself down slightly. "I've woken up in his room everyday and _hated _the decorations. And I can't do anything about it, Shino. I want… control. I want to feel like a grown up. I'm twenty-three years old, a mother, and I – I can't even decorate my own home!"

I looked at her. She had her arms crossed over her breasts – which had never quite shrunk back down to their original size from before her pregnancy – and her face turned toward the window, bathing it in a growing orange-grey light. I asked, "You want to get a house… to be able to decorate it?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, I want to feel self-sufficient. Like we're actually married."

"We _are_ actually married."

She glared at me, and then sighed again. She gathered her hair at the back of her neck in one hand, spun it up, around, and through the loop she had created, and it dropped into a knot. Her neck stretched longer and she straightened her shoulders resolutely. Her voice only wavered slightly when she said, "If we had more privacy, would… um, our… personal life… be more…"

I waited for whatever her question was.

She managed somewhat gracefully, "Would we make love more if there wasn't the chance of someone walking in?"

I looked out the window. It was past the time when I had planned wake Shiki. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that we haven't. Since I… I think since I conceived."

"I have to go," I said firmly. "I'm late already."

She turned around so that her back was facing me, and I went out into the hall. I was careful to close the door behind me.

Kiba was leaning against the wall, facing the door to the left of mine. He looked over at me, and waved with a small, encouraging grin. "Today's the big day, huh?"

I nodded. "Where is Akamaru?"

"He's around. Concerned with other things, I should say. Or something."

I walked up beside him. "Your skills at subtlety are somewhat lacking yet."

"I guess so," he laughed.

"What is Akamaru really doing?"

He shrugged apologetically. "It's a surprise, okay? He's been working on it for a long time, and it's coming together better than either of us expected it to. Don't ask, don't tell, if you know what mean."

I decided to let the subject rest. "Why are you standing outside my son's room at dawn?"

He didn't answer at first, and then dragged his fingers through his hair, showing awkwardness or frustration. "I was reading the brat's chakra, to see if he woke up all on his own. If he did, I was gonna go in and distract him from the… raised voices. Well, voice. Mira's."

"Oh. Yes, that makes sense. That would be unfortunate." I stood, shoulder touching Kiba's, looking at Shiki's door. "He's not awake."

"No," he answered what hadn't really been a question. "You already told me how very deep and tradition-y and important today is for father-son bonding time or whatever. I figured you would want to do the honors."

I stood still, looking at the door for a few moments.

Kiba moved his shoulder against mine, egging me on. "Come on. You went through this when you turned three, right? You said. And you turned out fine. And now this is going to define your relationship thingy forever. Right?"

"Yes," I said, moving my shoulder against his until they both settled into a comfortable position again, "I know."

When I made no move toward the door, Kiba sighed and pushed himself off the wall to stand in front of me. "Shino, listen. Have you led a bad life so far?"

I put my chin to my collarbone, most of my face dipping behind the high collar of my jacket. "No."

He smiled, his nose twitched, his eyes flickered past me for too short a time to be sure that they had, and then he said, "And this is starting him on that same life, right?"

I nodded, sinking further into my jacket.

"Then why are you afraid?"

I nearly objected, told him that I wasn't afraid. But Kiba was looking at me seriously, and he could read me as well as I could him after nearly ten years of friendship. "Not all aspects of this life are... favorable."

He scoffed at this, making a face and waving one hand while the other acted independently and brushed through the hair at my temple before sliding my glasses off. He leaned in and up, and murmured, "But some things are _extremely_ favorable, right?" against my lips.

I kissed him once, quickly, taking some comfort from it but in no mood for Kiba's games. I stepped back and put out an authoritative hand for my glasses. "I'll go in now."

He set them in my hand and looked smug at the hall behind me. As I turned my head to see, I heard the soft sound of a door closing, and the only door in that direction down the hallway was Mira's and mine.

Kiba put his hands on his hips. "Yeah, I think today's going to be a good day."

I stepped around him to open the door, paused, and said, "We'll be finished before lunchtime at the training grounds."

"I gotcha."

I opened the door and went inside.

It was dark. The curtains were drawn against the new sunlight, letting in only a thin line, which fell across a large bump in the blankets on the bed. The bump seemed to be a hip.

When I was closer, I saw that the blankets were pulled up high, covering all of my son up to the line of his dark and perpetually messed hair. I laid a hand on his shoulder, and he wiggled even farther down into his bed'swarmth and softness.

I said, "Shiki."

He made a whining sound at the back of his throat and didn't emerge.

"We are going to train today."

"…D'n't wanna…"

I opened the drapes, letting in the nearly full yellow sunlight, and then perfunctorily removed him of his blanket. "Shiki."

He pressed his hands into his eyes and squirmed onto his back, elbows jutting up. "Daddy…"

I reached over him, slipped a hand behind his shoulders, and pulled him into a sitting position. "You learned about this yesterday. What do you need in the morning to be prepared for training?"

He lowered his arms, blinked fuzzily at me, and then blinked again. One tan, one black. He said, "Need my jacket."

"'_I_ need my jacket'," I corrected him.

"I need my jacket," he repeated, and clambered down the side of his bed to the adult-sized desk in the corner. There, laid out and ready, was his newly acquired jacket. He could just barely reach it if he stretched, and his fingers caught the corner to drag it down until it landed unceremoniously on top of him.

He sorted himself out and pushed and pulled and tugged and shimmied until his jacket was zipped up and secure, and then looked at me.

I said, "Weapons."

He reached up toward the desk's top again, but couldn't feel more than three inches past the top edge. He stopped, lowered his hand, and then industriously pulled the chair closer and hauled himself to its summit. When he could see the desktop, he reached right away for the thigh holster, which contained wooden versions of standard weapons. Wood simulated the size and weight, but not the sharp edges. The pouch was clipped onto his right thigh –Naruto had entertained himself a few days earlier by showing Shiki repeatedly how to carry his weapons – and he checked the desk for more treasures.

Finding none, he crouched on all fours on top of the chair and let his legs dangle over the side. One foot touched the floor, then the other, and then he rested all his weight on them and came back over to me. He stared up at me, expecting me to either give him the next item on the list or approve.

I did neither. "Nothing else?"

He tilted his head – learned from Kiba – and quickly patted his pockets, looked to make sure that he had in fact secured the weapons, looked around the room, and then touched his face and raced to his bedside table. When he returned, he was adjusting his dark sunglasses. "Ready, Daddy!"

I nodded, and headed back to the door. He ran to catch up, tripped, turned it into a skip, and firmly attached one hand to the bottom hem of my jacket.

Today was my son's third birthday.

* * *

We sat cross-legged, facing each other, surrounded by grassland that gave way to desert or forest, depending on what direction was chosen.

I said, "The first lesson is on the subject of pain."

He made a face. "Don't like pain."

"_I_ don't like pain."

"I don't like pain, Daddy," he repeated dutifully. "It hurts."

"You will learn to overcome it."

"Why?"

"Because that is what a shinobi must do."

"Oh," he said, resigned.

"Watch and listen carefully," I instructed. I held out my right hand, palm up. When I focused on the center of my palm, five kikaichu tore through my skin and one scuttled up to burrow into the tip of each finger. "An action such as that requires practice and control, both of your chakra and your body's reaction to pain."

He was looking at my hand intently. His much smaller hand ran over my palm, testing it for marks. There were many, many marks, but none that looked fresher than any other.

I closed my fingers around his hand, squeezed slightly, and lifted it to turn it over. His palm, smooth for the most part, moved and flexed as he looked, too.

I said, "Focus on one spot at the center of your hand. Imagine a small ball of energy resting there."

He did. I could his eyebrows furrow, and the very tip of his tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth.

Nothing happened.

He sighed and looked back up at me.

I explained, "Your kikaichu consume chakra. If you focus a small concentration of energy above your skin, one will emerge, and then you may direct it. That will take more training, of course."

He said, "Dunno how."

"_I don't know-_" I started.

He interrupted me. "I don't know how."

I was stilled holding his hand cupped in mine, and lifted my other one to touch the center of his palm. "You can feel me touching you."

"Yeah," he said attentively.

I lifted my finger from his skin, but focused a small thread of chakra stretching between us. "Can you still feel something?"

"'S tingly."

"'What is?"

"_It's_ tingly," he sighed.

"That is a kikai," I said, as a bump appeared at the heel of his palm and traveled closer to my chakra. "If I continue touching you like this, it will break your skin."

He was watching the bump under his own skin with mild curiosity.

It came closer to my finger, closer, closer, until it was directly under the chakra. The bump changed shaped as the kikai shifted its position, and then I tightened my hold on Shiki's hand as he yelled and tried to pull it back. One second later, his hand had stilled and the tan kikai was scuttling around on the surface of his skin, attempting to consume my chakra. I stopped the flow, and then removed my finger.

Shiki was frowning, still looking at his kikai but without the previous curiosity. "Hurts."

"What hurts?"

"_It_ hurts, Daddy. _I_ don't wanna do that," he pouted.

I said, "That is your purpose. If you do not learn to control your kikaichu, you will not be able to protect the people that are dear to you."

He pointed out, "You and Kiba-ji-san and Naru-ji-san don't need me."

"What about your mother?"

He blinked at me, nonplussed. "Mommy has you."

"You will find someone who you will want to protect. To protect that future someone, you must learn these things now and continue training them until you are more powerful than any enemy."

He scratched his head, fighting with his messy black hair to run his fingers in a short way. "Alright, Daddy."

I said, "First, you must understand something. We are Aburame. Aburame do not cry out when we feel pain."

"Even if it hurts?" he said, trying to pronounce every word correctly since I had lectured him on it the week before.

"Especially if it hurts. Do not show the enemy that they have bested you."

"…Oh. I don't like pain," Shiki mumbled again.

I tried to catch and hold his gaze, but it proved difficult when both of us were wearing dark sunglasses. He was still looking speculatively at his hand. I bent forward and knocked my forehead against his, not hard enough to hurt. Over the top of his sunglasses, I could see his mismatched eyes lift and look at me.

With large eyes and an absentmindedly open mouth, Shiki's expression was… unexpectedly endearing.

I smiled without immediately realizing it.

He smiled back, and raised both his arms around my neck. "Daddy, I'll grow up like you?"

As I straightened my back, I could feel his grip on me weakening, so I lifted him by the underarms and sat him on my crossed legs. I let him entertain himself by tracing the thin white scars visible over the top of my jacket's collar. Answering his question, I said, "Yes. You'll be like me."

He frowned, thinking over this new revelation, fingers still prodding the skin just under my jaw. After a few moments, he reached a decision and said, "I'll do my best to be like you, Daddy."

"Your best is all that I could hope to expect," I agreed. I lifted him easily and sat him down, facing me yet again. Waiting for him to locate, discipline, and cross his legs, I took his wrist and slid his sleeve up with my other hand. I put the tip of one finger on top of his wrist, and the tip of another less than an inch distant.

I looked up at his very open, very trusting face and frowned.

"You know what is expected of you?" I checked again.

He nodded brightly.

I hesitated for a full ten seconds, let go of the breath I had been holding, and said, "I'm sorry."

I pinched him. Not as hard as I could, but hard enough to hurt.

I expected him to pull away. He didn't. His arm stiffened as he tensed against the pain. He closed his eyes, bit down on his bottom lip…

I let go and tapped his chin lightly. "If you bite down like that, you will reach a point when you injure yourself, and that would defeat the purpose of this training."

He cautiously lowered his arm. The skin around his wrist, covered by the jacket, was turning red, but I knew that there would be no bruising. Shiki's kikaichu would repair any subcutaneous damage. He sniffled, and brought the sleeve of his jacket up to wipe any stray fluids away. "Was that good?" he asked hopefully.

I nodded and touched his hair. "It was very good, Shiki. I'm proud of you."

He glowed. "What's next? More training! More!"

I said, "Next, we'll meditate and learn to differentiate between your tan and black kikaichu."

He clapped his hands. "Sounds like fun!"

* * *

By the time training was over, Shiki was nearly asleep. He could basically focus his chakra enough to cover a few square inches of skin – not nearly specific enough to draw out a single kikai – and could not maintain it long enough to have the kikaichu break the skin. We had not even covered how to direct the insects outside of the skin.

But he had made progress. It was a good first day of training.

He tried walking beside me, holding onto the bottom of my jacket, but stumbled. I carried him after that.

Half a mile from the Toudai guest home, Kiba appeared and fell into step just to the right and behind me, hands hidden from my sight. "Heya, Shino. How was training with your kid?"

"It was… enlightening."

He turned his head up to look at me, surprised by my answer. "Enlightening how? The way that a three-year-old pup has a better grasp on stealth than Mr. Naruto Orange-is-the-New-Black Uzumaki?"

"Kiba, you are referring to my son as an animal again."

"Whoops. My bad."

I waited for him to continue talking, but he was waiting for me to answer his question. I relented and explained, "I never fully understood… Father's attitude toward me."

"But now you do?" Kiba prompted when I paused to gather my thoughts.

I said pensively, "I have to train my son to endure pain, and I am choosing to set him on a path of violence and even more pain. Father made the same choice for me. At this moment, I am feeling a great deal of unease. What if I have chosen the wrong path for him? What if he begins to hate me because of this choice?"

Kiba lifted his shoulders as though he intended to link his fingers behind his head. He quickly thought better of it and left his hands behind his back. "So, you think that your old man has lived with this fear that you'd hate him for the last twenty-two years, and that's why he's been a bit distant?"

I said, "In general terms, yes."

He shrugged. "Nope. I don't buy that." He sucked on his teeth a moment, and then said, "Do you hate him for the life you have?"

"No," I said, impatient with his deliberate thickness.

He heard my tone and shook his head. "Do you think that he hated his parents for the choice thing they made?"

"Nothing in my experience suggests that," I said. Shiki was limp and sleeping, and I hitched him up higher against my shoulder to prevent him from falling.

"So," he finished, "I'm guessing that your dad relied on his own experiences and decided that you would adapt as necessary. The rest of it is just because he's not good with emotions. I don't know anyone like _that_," he teased.

I thought this over. "You may be right."

"But other than that, how did he do?"

I felt Shiki shift slightly in my arms and looked down at him. "Very well."

Kiba was staring at me when I looked up.

I raised my eyebrows. "Kiba?"

He blinked. "Ano… sorry. I just really love your smile."

"I was smiling?"

"Charmingly."

"That doesn't sound like me."

"Nope. That's why such a charming smile must be cherished."

"Oh."

"Yes."

We were nearly back to the house. I asked, "Kiba, what are you holding behind your back?"

He sighed. "Well, I wanted to wait until the brat was awake. And before you get mad, I already asked Mira this morning. She was fine with it, but she said to ask Narame, since it isn't her house. She was a bit peeved at me, I think. Anyway, I asked Narame and she said yes, too."

"Kiba."

"And seriously, it was just a matter of time before something like this happened, I dunno why I wasn't thinking about it before."

"Kiba."

"And they're the cutest things, Akamaru's really proud…"

"Kiba. What is behind your back?"

He fidgeted for a moment, and then brought his arm around to show me.

There, carefully curled up on one hand, was a hairless rat.

"What is it?" I asked blankly.

He stuck his tongue out at me. "It's a puppy, ya jerk. Two days old. I'm only borrowing her, because Akamaru and his bitch want her back, but they've agreed that Shiki can have her when she's old enough to wean."

I look from the small pink thing to Kiba's face. "Why?"

He rolled his eyes. "A birthday present! Your kid's three. Time for presents. I just didn't think that he'd be dead asleep."

"Since when does Akamaru have a bitch?"

"Apparently, they had a fling going for a while, and then she pulled an Itari and Akamaru came running to tell me. He was so excited. It was cute, like when _he_ was a puppy. Anyway, I figured that I would keep it a secret, since I told her owner and he brought her in to the," he unconsciously spat the next word like a curse, "_vet_ and her due date was around the kiddo's birthday and I figured – well, you know."

I said, "Go give the puppy back to her parents, Kiba. Being out here cannot be safe for her."

He sighed. "But Shiki can have her, can't he?"

"Yes. But place her back with her mother."

"Aw. Fine." He disappeared again before we went inside.

The rest of the day, Mira didn't say a word about the puppy or Kiba. She didn't even ask about the training. She just clicked her tongue over how tired Shiki was, and set him down for a nap.

* * *

One month later, Shikamaru was passing through on a mission. He was bringing Kankuro with him from Suna to Konoha for extra protection; Gaara and Temari were already there on diplomatic business.

Kankuro finished our third bottle of sake between the five of us. He grumbled, "I'm getting' sick and _fuckin'_ tired of Kumo sending in hired help to try and assassinate the old broad and Gaara. We can't find any solid records leading back to them to base a counterattack on!"

Naruto asked, "But, seriously, does it look like we'll be able to go back anytime soon?"

Kiba said quietly, "It's been nearly four whole years…"

Shikamaru sighed and rubbed the last two knuckles of his right hand against the back of his left, a habit that he had developed after losing those fingers. "Look, you guys, I know that you want to go back, but it's not really safe."

Naruto said, "I can take care of myself!"

I said, "And we are also still charged with guarding him."

Shikamaru sighed. "I don't want to explain this more than once, so shut up for a second. I'm serious – There's been an attack at least once every three months for years. Right now, it's been five months – which means that everyone's on pins and needles waiting for something to explode. If you guys see ol' Tsunade without that young genjutsu she keeps up, she's got burn marks all down her face and left side from that really botched rescue attempt last year. Things are looking grim."

Kankuro wasn't listening to the conversation anymore. "I mean, my little brother! Why would someone try to kill my _little brother_?"

I said helpfully, "Because he could single-handedly turn an entire village into a desert."

He blinked slowly, and then nodded. "Oh, right."

Shikamaru interrupted us. "The point is, Konoha's just not safe right now."

Naruto growled and demanded, "What's some diplomatic clusterfuck got to do with me and Sasuke-tebayo?"

Shikamaru didn't answer. He just gave Naruto an evaluative glance and shook his head. "God, you're stupid, Naruto."

"Am not! Just explain it to me!"

I said, "If Tsunade cannot keep herself safe, she must not want to worry about keeping you safe, either. Especially since it is common knowledge that your safety will affect her more than another's."

Naruto scratched his head. "Wait, so she's afraid that something might happen to me and I'm her weakness so she doesn't want something to happen to me?"

"Something like that," Shikamaru drawled sarcastically.

Kankuro clapped his hands. "Right. We're finished talking about work." He pointed at me. "You. Aburame. Your kid's growing up."

"I have begun training him," I supplied.

"Right. So I hafta ask… I mean, I'm just curious… With these two retards _and_ a kid, when do you and your babe of a wife find time for the finer things in life?"

"What would those be?" I asked.

Kiba said, "He means sex, Shino."

"Oh. We don't."

"What?" Kankuro laughed. "You have to. I mean, that's the point of the whole 'to have and to hold' line, right?"

I said, "Aburame marriage vows are somewhat different. We exchanged kikai."

"Mmm, good, insects always help the situation," Shikamaru grunted. "What can I say, though? I was there. Hell, I was a groomsman."

Kankuro was looking between us, confused. "No, seriously, you have to. It's the whole marriage thing. Sex is in the deal. Is she just not in the mood, ever?"

I said, "The subject has not arisen."

"Do you just not _talk_ to each other?" Kankuro asked, floored.

Kiba said, "Kankuro, shut up, okay? It's none of your business."

"Yeah, and it's none of yours, either, is it, Inuzuka?" Kankuro said distractedly. "No, seriously, you've got that piece of ass at your beck and call and you don't take it?"

There was dead silence. The group had drawn a collective gasp at Kankuro's comment to Kiba.

Kankuro looked around at us, but no one else moved. "What?"

Kiba, very quietly, said, "I'm… gonna go, okay?"

"What? Go where?" Kankuro asked. "Hey, what's wrong with you guys?"

"I'm also going to go," I announced and followed Kiba out the door. By the time I was outside, Kiba wasn't in sight.

From up above me, he said, "Over here."

I jumped up onto the roof and sat next to him. "Kiba, are you alright?"

"Yeah," he sighed, leaning his shoulder into mine. "It's just that every time I hear something about you and Mira – and especially after Kankuro said that – I remember that it really isn't my business. And then I remember about how badly I lost, and by all rights you belong to her, and nothing's fair."

I had only understood about half of his speech, and so didn't respond.

He set his ear against my shoulder. "Shino, do you remember what I asked the first night that I knew that you were going to get married?"

I thought back. A great deal could depend on a shinobi's memory. "You asked me to tell you if I loved Mira."

He breathed, in, out, in, and then whispered, "Do you?"

I thought again. "She has led a lonesome life for my sake. She abandoned friends, family, and home to marry me. She bore my child. The least I can do for her is try to make her happy."

He shifted. "That sounds like sympathy, or gratitude. Maybe even pity. And you're not even very good at the _keeping her happy_ part."

"I'll redouble my efforts."

"No, it's fine. I'm pretty sure that nothing you might do could fix her life at this point." He sighed, and sank deeper into his jacket. "I just feel bad for her, sometimes."

We sat in silence for a time, and then I asked, "Are you unhappy?"

"What? Why would I be?"

"Because I have not discovered the meaning of life yet."

"Oh. That." He chuckled. "No, it's fine. We're twenty-two, we have our whole life ahead of us."

I corrected, "You are twenty-one."

He stuck his tongue out, but didn't bother turning his head to direct it at me. "Listen, this isn't a bad place to be. Don't worry about it, okay, Shino?"

"Very well," I said.

We sat and looked at the stars for nearly an hour, until the sounds of voices inside died away and we had to employ our stealth skills to go inside to bed.

* * *

Review. It... will make me feel better. Ugh... 


	31. What

In which a world crumbles under the pressure.

...I have been anticipating the second half of the second scene with both hope and fear since originally planning this story. Please tell me how if I managed to pull it off.

See? A quick update, to reward you for waiting nearly a month. To prove that I love and treasure you all, and don't want you to leave.

* * *

We all sat in Kiba's room, writing our individual reports on our last mission. Naruto had use of the desk, while Kiba and I sat back to back on his bed. Naruto's occasional self-dictation aside, we had been working in near-silence for an hour. 

Very abruptly, Mira was screaming in the kitchen, on the other side of the house.

Just as abruptly, all three of us were in the kitchen with her. Half a second later, Shikamaru and Kankuro, who were staying in the main house's guest rooms for three more days, joined us.

Mira was against a counter at the edge of the room, hands over her mouth. The scream had only lasted a few seconds. Her black glasses were turned toward the table.

Where Shiki sat, arms flat and fingers spread wide against the wood, frowning unhappily at his lunch.

The table in general, but principally my son's sandwich, was covered in hundreds of kikaichu, both black and tan.

I said, "What happened, Shiki?"

He looked up at me, now, through his sunglasses. "Was trying… _I_ was trying to make a bug come out."

"A lot came out, kiddo." Kiba stood behind me, while Naruto and Kankuro tried to talk Mira out of her hysteria. Shikamaru simply leaned against the wall with the least commotion near it.

Shiki sighed and turned back to the table. "Yeah. All at once." His shoulders slumped slightly and he added quietly, "Hurt."

I used mushi yose no jutsu to control the insects and lead them back into his skin, most of them entering at the hands or wrists. Shiki watched them with a detached expression.

Naruto also watched the bumps recede into Shiki and commented intelligently, "Ew."

I said sternly, "Shiki, what did I tell you?

"Not to practice when Daddy's not with me," he reluctantly answered.

"You can't yet manipulate the chakra precisely enough to bring only one out. You also can't control kikaichu outside your body." I frowned, belatedly noticing something. "And where is your jacket?"

"It got hot," he complained. "I took it off."

"His arm," Mira gasped in horror somewhere behind me. When I turned around, she was standing with her arms across her stomach, subconsciously protecting herself. Kankuro was moving his hand on her back. Mira swallowed, and raised her head. "They all… came out of his arm at once. It looked like he'd been _skinned alive_."

Kiba winced. "And to not even be expecting it…" he murmured queasily.

Mira gave him a very, very communicative glare.

I said, "I will talk to Shiki. Please excuse us." I took Shiki's hand and pulled him easily out of the chair. When I started walking, he pulled his hand out of mine and twisted his fingers tightly in the very bottom hem of my jacket.

At the door, I stopped and looked down. "Do you have anything to say to your mother?"

He turned to looked at Mira. "I'm sorry for scaring you, Mommy."

Mira looked as though she would begin to cry. "No, honey, it's alright, I'm not afraid of you, you just startled me…" Now she did cry, lifting her hands to her face and hanging her head.

Kiba returned to Mira a less venomous look and shied away slightly before coming closer to me. Quietly, he said, "I have an idea, okay? I'll meet you in the brat's room." He went out the door before I did, rubbing the top of Shiki's head as he passed.

Shiki didn't look away from his mother until I pushed his back and he stepped out into the hall, the door sliding closed behind me. He looked at his feet next, hand on my jacket, letting me take him down the hall and into his room. Finally, he lifted his head to look up at me. "Daddy," he said quietly, "I really am sorry."

"Yes," I said, "I know. It was a mistake."

He let go and climbed up onto his bed, sitting with his knees out and shins crossed. "I didn't have anything to do."

"Your given task was to eat."

"Wasn't hungry," he pouted. "And wanted to get better to make you proud..."

"You are forgetting your subjects again," I observed, sitting on the edge of his bed and turning my upper body toward him.

"I wanted to make you proud," he mumbled again, fingers fussing with his sheets.

I leaned over and set my hand on his knee. "Shiki, you have only begun your training. I neither need nor expect you to be perfect. When I was your age, I may have made a similar mistake."

"Daddy never makes mistakes," he said stubbornly.

"Not twice," I agreed. "I learn from them. I mean to say that, even if you make a mistake, you also make me proud, my son."

He beamed and leaned forward. "Really?"

"Every day." I pointed to his jacket, lying on the ground in a small heap. "Just as you are meant to wear your jacket every day."

He made a face. "Even when it's hot?"

"Even when it is hot. Otherwise, if you make another mistake, other people will be able to see."

He calmed down. "And they'll be afraid, like Mommy."

"Your mother isn't afraid of you. Seeing so many kikaichu leaving a body for first time is typically upsetting. Kiba wept, as well."

"Gee, thanks, ya gossip," Kiba growled merrily from the door. "Maybe now I'm not going to give you the cutest thing in the whole wide world." There was something wiggling in his arms.

Shiki raced across the room to wrap himself around Kiba's leg. "Kiba-ji-chan wasn't lying about the puppy!"

Kiba gave me an odd look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I didn't know. I raised an eyebrow.

Kiba shook Shiki off and crouched down. "Alright, brat. She's been ready for a couple days – allow for three to four weeks before weaning, and all that – and she's yours. Just be careful when you're holding or playing with her. She's still unsteady on her feet."

Shiki nodded dutifully. Kiba carefully transferred the puppy into my son's arms, firmly moving his arms and explaining that he couldn't put undue strain on her chest or abdomen.

She seemed to have grown exponentially since I had last seen her, though from muzzle to tail she wasn't as long as Shiki's chest was wide. The fur was a recent development, more yellow than Akamaru's but still light. She tried to lick Shiki's chin and only managed his neck, making him squeal in surprise and delight.

When they both stopped wriggly so much, Kiba cupped his hands over Shiki's ear and whispered to him. Eventually, Shiki nodded quickly and wobbled off to an empty piece of floor.

Watching Shiki reverently set down his charge and then plop down himself to pet her made Kiba smile as he came to sit by me. Still highly amused, he hummed, "I figured that the pup could use some company. Next time he feels like training, he should take care of his new best friend, right?"

"Was that what you told him?" I asked.

He tilted his head to the side. "Nope."

I waited for him to explain, but he didn't. I slowly turned my head toward him.

He laughed. "Curiosity killed the cat, Shino."

"I didn't know that you favored cats."

The laugh turned more wild. "Yeah, I'm on curiosity's side."

Still, he seemed to consider his words before he spoke. "I told him that Mira wasn't afraid of him, or his bugs. She was afraid _for_ him. It's hard to see the underside of a loved one's skin without knowing that they're in pain and wanting to end that pain. It's even worse with you two because you don't make a sound. Why would you? You feel that kind of pain on a daily basis. But… I can't speak for Mira, but when I saw it that time training, I wanted to make you stop being a shinobi."

I glared at him. "I have no other purpose, Kiba."

"Right, yeah. I know. That's why I couldn't do it. Being a shinobi is part of who you are." He swallowed with difficulty. "Um, no, I just knew for–" he glanced at Shiki, leaned closer, and lowered his voice for a moment, "–for _damn_ sure that you shouldn't have to feel that much pain just to protect someone else."

I said, "We feel pain so that the people we protect will not."

He smiled regretfully. "That's awfully sentimental, coming from you."

Suddenly, Shiki twisted around to look at us. "Kiba-ji-chan, what's its name?"

"She's a girl, runt. And I could tell you what her Daddy calls her, but she doesn't have a people name yet. Since you're in charge of her safety, you should name her, right?"

Shiki thought for a long moments, watching Kiba to get a measure of how much freedom he was really being given. He came to a decision and nodded. "Akari."

Kiba asked inquisitively, "'Red'? She's kinda yellow-y so you want to name her something that means 'red'?"

Shiki nodded again, confirming it. "Kiba-ji-san has his red marks because of his family. I don't. Akari'll still be… kinda close to Kiba-ji-san's family, then."

Kiba watched Shiki watch him for a long moment, and then winked. "As good a name as any, I say. Go with it."

Shiki turned back to a bemused Akari and announced her name, followed by a string of ineffective and largely ignored commands.

Kiba laughed, again. "You've got a cute kid. Do you know that?"

* * *

The next day was… very eventful. 

Kiba took Shiki to wherever Akamaru and the other puppies were staying. To learn about how to care for Akari, he said, and to 'meet the parents'… though I was not sure what that would entail. Naruto went with Shikamaru to watch the sky drift by, because Naruto was in a lazy mood and the point was moot for Shikamaru.

After I ate breakfast, I went to Kiba's room. He had received a letter from Hinata, and had given me permission to read it – she had written her permission in the letter itself.

I stayed there, reading updates on minor things. I didn't care overmuch for what funny thing Itari had done, or who Sakura had recently broken up with, or what fashion trends Ino was trying to begin. She filled most of the letter with news on people she knew that we _did_ care deeply about, and then only the truly interesting things. Even after all this time, our sister knew us well.

Kiba's family was first. Tsume and her companion Kuromaru were nearly recovered from Kuromaru's broken leg, with the help of Hana. At this point, Kiba had seen fit to scrawl, 'Hospitals can't beat Hana-nee-chan!' in the margin.

Sasuke and Itari were taking care of Mikoto. The four-year-old girl was already showing signs of possessing her father's eyes, the Sharingan that was characteristic of the Uchiha clan. She had entered the Academy early, and Jata had followed her on the first day using every stealth move fathomable until Hinata, her teacher, had absentmindedly used her Byakugan and found her. There had been a very tense conversation – during which Hinata asked Jata to leave and Jata internally debated over whether to traumatize an entire classroom of children – before Mikoto asked Jata to stay with Itari, instead.

Hinata wrote about that episode with very tense language.

Her twins were beautiful and delightful and wonderful and full of any other positive substance she could name. The boy, born first, was named Hideo and reportedly very similar to his father. He refused to obey Hinata unless Neji was in the room to watch over him. The girl was Hime... and, by all rights, she should have belonged to the branch house of the Hyuuga clan, as Neji had been. The branch family was dedicated to the safety and protection of the main house.

However, when Hiashi had been listed as KIA nearly a year before, Neji had been named head of the clan. He was not much enamored of the concept of separate houses.

Hinata was worried about Father, with only Baru to talk to and only his missions to fill his time. She went over to talk to him often...

Odd. He had never had any problems before.

She explained that she would include any new details in her letter to Naruto, which she would write a day later and send at the same time. Ten pages was Hinata's daily limit.

I was finished, no one was available to train, and all of my weapons were sharpened. I could sharpen Kiba's or Naruto's weapons, since they tended to neglect that somewhat, but I was not in a generous mood.

Where was Mira?

I stood and walked out to the hall, listening past the myriad creaks from the floorboards beneath me, the buzz of cicadas (_Cicadetta radiator_, judging from the sound) outside, the empty static of still and silent air...

It wasn't a sound that alerted me to her presence in our room, but a flare of chakra. This was troubling; she had no business to be near a chakra spike like that.

But she was nowhere else in the house. I had to assume that her untrained, faint chakra was being eclipsed by - when I stretched further, focused more clearly - Kankuro's.

Was there an attack in progress? Was Kankuro defending her?

I was searching for an enemy's chakra when I opened the door.

The look on Mira's face was indescribable. Unrepentant, slightly flushed, eyes open to every reaction behind her dark glasses.

Kankuro looked over his shoulder. "Oh. That's why you told me not to control my chakra. What a heartless bitch."

I closed the door.

I stared at the closed door for a moment.

I turned on my heel and aimed myself for Kiba's room. I was feeling more generous now.

Mira spilled out of the doorway, tripping on the sheets she was holding in a fist at her collarbone and colliding with the far wall. She screamed, "Don't you _care_?"

I stopped, and slowly turned to look at her. "If Kankuro makes you happy, Mira, then I want you to be happy."

"I am your wife, Shino! I belong to you!" Trails of black were beginning to fall past her dark, squared glasses. "From our wedding day until now, all I ever was was _yours_. Don't you remember?"

"I remember that we are interchangeable, Mira," I said. "I remember that we are unique."

She threw the sheets to the ground and stood naked, face pinched by tears, skin flushing even more deeply red as her voice became desperate. "This, then. Do you remember this? Was there ever even _one day_ when you wanted me?"

Kankuro came to lean against the frame of the open door. Thankfully, he had located his pants. He crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Use it or lose it, Aburame."

Mira whirled to face him. She spat, "Shut up! Get out of here! _None of this is about you!_"

Kankuro put his hands up. "Okay. This isn't the kind of yelling naked chick that I like, anyway."

"_Go_!"

He vanished in a flicker technique.

Mira turned back to me, every action more vicious than I had ever seen. She was livid, breathing hard, seething with rage with all of her energy directed at me. And, though she no longer seemed aware of it, very nude. After searching for a short time, she bit out, "Why?"

"Why what?"

She slapped her palm against the wall. "Why can't I be enough? Why don't you want me? Why can't my life work out the way it's supposed to _just once_?"

She calmed down, moving past an inner threshold into cold, quiet dissociation. Her back straightened. Her hands fell to her sides. Her voice became level. "I thought it had. Once. When I found out that I was pregnant. I thought, 'Finally.'" She started walked toward me, becoming sarcastic. "'Finally, life is going to be wonderful.' I was so happy then, Shino. So happy. And then you stopped touching me for _four years_."

She was very close to me. She took my arm, covered my by jacket, and held my hand to her breast. "Nothing? You don't feel anything when you touch me, do you? Not here, or here," she slid my hand lower to her hip, and then lower again, "or here-"

I pulled my arm back. "Are you feeling well, Mira?"

She pulled her hand back and slapped me. I let her. She looked as though she needed to do it. "No, I am _not _feeling well. I gave you a son, Shino… I gave you my life. My heart. I gave you everything. And now everything is gone.

"How do you think it feels, knowing that you only ever let _him_ see your eyes?" She spun around again, going back for her sheets and pulling them around herself like a shield. "I've never seen you smile, but I'll bet that _he_ has." She decided that the sheets were inadequate and took one step toward the door to our bedroom, changed her mind, and pointed a finger at me. "I knew that you two were close from the beginning. I knew. I grew up with shinobi; I can recognize a bond formed by saving each other's lives over and over again. I knew that I would never have that with you. But I thought, like a little fool, that what I would have with you would be different. Better. That we would have Love, and that nothing could ever remove me from your heart if only you would let me in.

"But there was already someone there," she hissed quietly, hands forming fists and relaxing, tight, relaxed, again and again. "And you named _our_ child, the thing that would fix everything that was going wrong, after your _whore_.

"So how long was it?" she asked with a manic smile, sheets hanging near her waist. "How long has it been? Did you fuck him before I came to stay with you, or after? Before the wedding, or after? Was it during that month-long mission? Was it when you came to Bujitaihei, that first time? After the battle? When I was pregnant? Did you and Kiba screw while I was giving birth, just for spite, Shino?"

I lowered my chin to my collarbone. "The first time… was the night of my bachelor party."

"The night of your…" She looked away and choked on her own laugh. "The night before our wedding. You just… the entire time, you've had him, too. I should have known. You never cared for me. Gods, to do that, you must hate me outright-"

"The second time was more than seven months later," I said.

Her head snapped back to me. "Don't you lie to me," she warned. "I could see how he was with you. He must have been all over you when I wasn't there, always… and you could never say no, you don't know how to deny him anything…"

I said, "After our wedding, Kiba and I didn't kiss until the night before the Hyuuga wedding."

"Well, that's a weird fetish," she said coldly. "So I guess he was on his back right away, then."

"No. Not until nearly five months later."

She was counting in her mind. "That's… about two weeks after I found out that I was pregnant."

"Yes."

"After you stopped touching me?" There was a wobble in her voice, now. A thin hope.

"Yes."

"You never had him when you had me?"

"No."

She hesitated before asking in a whimper, "Why not?"

"I knew that I could give you that much. You deserved much, much more than you've received, but that much I could do for you. If someone has you, they should have only you, and no one else."

She sank to her knees, sheets billowing out around her, bent over at the waist, sobbing. She drew in air, and it rasped in her throat. "What right do you have to say that?"

"I don't."

She pressed her face into the sheets.

I knelt beside her, slipping a hand in between her shoulder blades and gently tilting her back until I was supporting her, and then my other arm went behind her knees. I lifted her easily and carried her back to her bare bed. I set her down, found her robe, sat her back up, and dressed her.

She didn't resist. She occasionally wiped her eyes, or sniffled, or sobbed, but she was calming down.

I laid her back out on the bottom sheet, and then went back to the hall. I gathered the sheets and spread them over her, top sheet first, blanket last. When I was finished, I stood looking down at her.

Tears wear leaking from her glasses into her hair. She swallowed and turned on her side, away from me.

I asked, "Mira, can I get you anything? Lunch?"

She croaked, "No."

I nodded and went back to the door.

"Wait." She swallowed against a raw throat. "W-water, please."

I went to get it for her.

* * *

That night, Kiba and I sat on the roof again. 

Kiba whistled. "So she finally snapped."

"Yes. You knew that something was wrong?"

He snorted. "Who didn't?" His smiled dropped off his face, and he gaped at me. "Shino, tell me you knew."

"I knew that something was wrong, but not specifically what."

"Ah." He sighed. "What are you guys going to do?"

"I don't know. We didn't work it out to my satisfaction. She was exhausted."

"I should think so. That outburst was building for five years, ya know."

I paused. "You aren't angry that I was so candid with her, are you?"

"Me? Nah. She deserves honesty. And she deserves to know. And… yeah, she deserves a whole hell of a lot more, but I'm with you on that one. I don't know how to give it to her."

I ventured, "Would it help if I had her instead of you?"

His breath caught in his throat.

Suddenly, I was flat against the roof, looking up at Kiba without the darkness of my glasses to compound the darkness of the night. He pressed his nose to my cheek and bit down on my jaw, and then growled into my ear, "_No_. She deserves a lot, but she doesn't deserve you more than I do. And she… she wouldn't be happy with pity. You know that."

I said, "I understand."

He went back to lick at my wound. His teeth had broken the skin. He whined when he found the skin unbroken. "You know, I really hate your little inner hive sometimes, Shino." He moved back up to nip at th top of my nose, and added affectionately, "Not often, though."

I said thoughtfully, "How will everything change?"

Kiba sighed, and gave me back my glasses before setting his head on my shoulder and looking up at the stars. "I don't know. It'll be different though, for sure. Since she knows, maybe that gives us permission to be less discreet, or maybe it'll be offensive to her. I don't know. We should… probably sit down with her and talk it over. At some point."

I said, "Perhaps I should speak with her first. She most likely still dislikes you."

"That bad, huh?"

"She screamed loud enough to have a raw throat. At length. And she suggested that you spent a great deal of time on your back."

"Dude, I got shafted by a civilian. That sucks."

"I understood all but two of those words."

"You're improving!" He laughed, and then asked, "Are you going to sleep in her room now?"

"I don't know."

"You could sleep in mine."

"We don't know if that is appropriate."

"Relax. I'll just kick Naruto out of his bed. And after he gets mad, I'll sleep in the guest room."

"Why don't I simply take the guest room?

"Because my room is right next to Shiki's, and you've never spent a night here more than one door down."

"Oh." I discovered that my fingers were running up and down his neck and took them away before he developed any ideas. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it. But we _should_ sleep soon; tomorrow's going to be interesting." He lifted himself off of me. Before climbing down from the roof, he said, "At least she said it in words before trying something drastic, Shino."

"Seducing Kankuro isn't drastic?"

"Hey, if a rock was cleverly arranged with two sticks and a skirt, Kankuro would find a way to be seduced." He winked and disappeared.


	32. Precedes

Mira was being a bitch to write. I mean, I understand her. I do. Bad things happened, bad things are continuing to happen, she's fully justified in her broken heart and wounded pride and whatever. But could ya just some out and say it, instead of talking circuitously until Shino just sort of overloads? So I don't know how that turned out.

Oh, and the first time I wrote the opening 2000 words, I utterly lost it. So rewriting it was slow, reluctant, and painful. I was about ready to needle myself in the eyes at several stages.

Basically, the entire chapter is a bit fubar. Sorry. Maybe the next one will be better.

* * *

On the morning after what Kiba had termed 'Mira's Last Stand', we had an unexpected guest. 

I had originally intended to train with Shiki, and perhaps Kiba, since the day before had been wasted. However, in light of my forthcoming conversation with my wife, I canceled the training and fixed myself a cold breakfast of fruit and leftover rice from the night before.

I could no longer sense Shikamaru and Kankuro, though they were supposed to be staying for another day at least. Naruto had mentioned that Kankuro had expressed a desire to check on his brother and sister in Konoha

Half an hour after dawn, I had nothing to do. Not prone to idleness, I considered waking Kiba – who should have woken up on his own, by all rights.

And then a half-forgotten chakra searched for mine, confirming that I was inside the second Toudai house. It took me half a second longer than it should have, but I recognized Yamanaka Ino easily enough. The chakra withdrew, and she respectfully knocked on the door.

I opened it, fully prepared to ask why we were suddenly a kind of social hub conveniently positioned at the very edge of the country.

Long, fashionably tanned arms wrapped around my neck and Ino pressed into me with unmerited enthusiasm. Next to my ear, she squealed, "Oh, Shino, it's been _so_ long, I keep hearing about how you're doing from Hinata and that's just what she can figure out from your occasional essays and Naruto's off-topic rants! How are you?" She stepped back and looked me up and down without shame, trying to see if I was favoring one side or any other sign of injury. Shinobi ignored certain customs of privacy that civilians held.

I said, "Ino, what are you doing here?"

She held two fingers up and apart, then winked at me from the eye that wasn't hidden by her long blond hair, left out of the rest of the ponytail. "Wanted to visit, silly. And Sakura wants to know how Naruto's doing. She also asked about Kiba, but I can't believe she remembers that two-month fling that they had nearly eight years ago, or something…"

And then she talked, inviting herself in and prancing along the hall, speaking over her shoulder at me. It was a feat of determination, to continue pushing the limits of her own lungs in order to tell me the minutiae of Sakura's life, then Hinata's, then her own, then Itari's, etc.

When she stopped for a breath – possibly for the first time – I firmly asked, "Why are you here?"

"Oh, I have a message for you."

I waited impatiently for a message that would have a jounin out to the very boundaries of the country to deliver.

She smiled at me with deliberate innocence.

I asked, "What is the message?"

"Something about... you know, things, and stuff... nothing too important. Tell you later, okay? I can smell that short little runt around here somewhere."

"Naruto is as tall as Kiba, and still takes offense when others call him short."

"That's the point of calling him short, silly. And besides, he's still shorter than _me_, right?"

She compared her height to mine. She asked me if Naruto's forehead was level with my eyes. I said no. She laughed triumphantly.

I asked, "When will you tell me the message?"

"Jeez, Shino. A bit prissy in the morning, are you?"

"This is no different from my normal behavior."

"And what does that tell you about yourself?" she asked, like a teacher leading a student through a problem with intuition.

I had no opportunity to answer as Ino happily threw open the door to the first room. "Naruto!" 

Naruto was asleep on his back, legs splayed and body positioned to take up as much room as possible. He jolted up, recognized the intruder, and thumped back down. "N' trainin' t'day, Ino, go 'way..."

Ino pressed dark lips together, sniffled theatrically, drew a deep breath to steady herself, wrenched Naruto off the bed by the ankle, and yelled, "Naruto! The most gorgeous woman you've ever met and haven't seen in five years just traveled overnight to see you and the best you can manage is '_go away_'!"

Naruto yelped as he became better acquainted with his wooden floor. "You goddamn psycho!" He twisted until he was on his back, then swept his heel around to connect with Ino's shin.

She hissed in pain, jerked her leg up, and set her foot down just above Naruto's knee.

His blue eyes widened and he struggled with moving his leg too much. "Wrong way, _wrong way_, you're gonna break it!"

Ino put a little more pressure on her leg. "Will you listen to me now?"

"Fuck! Yes! Ow, stop it!"

She smiled sweetly. "Alrighty then." She straightened, giving Naruto time to stand, and spread her sense out again. Since Ino's specialty involved linking her chakra with her opponent's and controlling their body, she tended to forget that shinobi _do_ have some boundaries which should not be crossed.

Thoughtfully, she announced, "Kiba's in the hall, the next room over's empty, the room after that has someone I don't know, and the last is a civilian." She brightened. "Oh! That must be the fabled child! You know, the proof that you actually _have_ a sex drive?"

I raised an eyebrow.

Naruto shrugged.

Ino winked. "Right, let's go wake him up!"

I put a hand on the opposite side of the door, blocking her with my arm. "Leave my son to his sleep, and tell us the Hokage's message."

Ino tapped one finger against her lower lip. "Once everyone's gathered, okay?" She ducked under my arm and out into the hall.

Naruto asked, nonplussed, "A message? Why didn't she say so?"

I went out, stepping just behind Ino.

Kiba was there. He said, "How come all of our friends _yell_?"

Mira was standing outside her door, trying to smile at Ino while avoiding eye contact with either Kiba or me.

A crack was visible one door closer than Mira. Suddenly, a small paw hooked around the edge and Akari burst out, in the middle of a minor apoplexy. Akamaru calmed her with one mitigating, affectionate bark. Shiki was standing in the half-open door, his jacket left unzipped and glasses hastily crooked. "Who's the pretty lady?"

Ino saw him and her mood turned sparkly. She descended upon him, pinching and cooing and generally assaulting him with affection.

Shiki pouted, puffing his cheeks out and glowering at the ground. He had been through similar tribulations when Hinata had visited.

Ino simpered, "Oh, Mira, honey, he's just the cutest thing _ever_."

Mira smiled down with pride. "He's sweeter than sugar, I swear. And very obedient, always polite..."

Ino asked, "And he's already started training?" She poked my son's nose. "I can feel it in your chakra, yes, that takes practice, yes it does..."

Shiki said indignantly, "'M not a baby."

Ino blinked. "What do you mean, sweetie?"

"I'm not a _baby_," he said with all the poise and indignity he could fit into his voice. "I'm three years old. And I'm gonna be just as strong as Daddy soon!"

Ino didn't move for a few moments.

Kiba said, "You think she's going to explode?" Naruto put his fingers in his ears.

Ino squealed, "So, so, so _cuuute_!"

* * *

Eventually, she was wrested away from him and we all gathered in the kitchen. Mira fed those of us who hadn't eaten yet. 

Naruto watched Ino eat. Impatiently, he urged, "Well? What'd the old hag say?"

"Nothing really big." Ino finished her orange juice in two gulps before saying, "You can all go back to Konoha, is all."

The room fell into absolute silence. Shiki recognized the tension in the air quickly enough and stopped trying to avoid spilling his juice down his front, setting his cup back on the table furtively.

Kiba asked carefully, "Just like that? I thought it was too dangerous, or whatever."

Naruto followed this immediately with, "Why the hell didn't Shikamaru tell us? He was all like, 'Ooooh, no, yousa gonna get killed!' Whatta jerk-tebayo."

Ino nodded her emphatic agreement. "Oh, no, yeah, Shika's definitely a jerk, but it's just that he's been in Suna. No news for, like, two or three weeks! A lot can happen."

I was wiping Shiki's coat with my napkin. It would require a cleaning. "Why may we come back?"

Ino beamed and closed her eyes with, in retrospect, what must have been false serenity. Heavy, black eyelashes brushed tan cheekbones. "There was an attack. An assassination attempt. Again." She looked around at each of us with reassuring blue eyes. "Tsunade's hurt. She doesn't know that she can defend the village anymore."

If there had been silence before, the room became a vacuum.

Naruto shouted, "So she'll want her most uber-powerful ninja back to help and so I'm being called back because I'm the best ever-tebayo!"

Ino lips quirked. "So you're still our same, simple Naruto, hmm?"

"Am not!"

Leaning against the counter for lack of a chair, Mira crossed her arms across her chest and asked, "When?"

Ino turned her head, letting her long earrings bump against the beginning of her jawbone. "As soon as possible, I imagine. I mean, I can see that you haven't really settled in immovably. It shouldn't be too traumatic, right?"

Mira nodded morosely. "We'll be going back to the Aburame estate, I suppose."

"And I'll get my same tent," Kiba said.

Naruto blinked, then put his hands to the side of his face. "Oh! My apartment's been off that last six-month lease for _years_! Where am I gonna go?"

I said, "You can afford to secure another home. Especially after four years of free rent."

He moped for a moment. "But it had _sentimental value_."

Ino smiled with disbelief. "I don't think you'll have to worry, midget. The Hokage's chambers are plenty big."

"Why would I stay there?"

Kiba leaned back out of Naruto's view and shook his head.

Ino blinked, her eyelid fluttering quickly for a moment as she cast out for something to say other than what she had planned. She improvised, "Tsunade... needs protection, doesn't she? And you and she were always like family anyway, right? You're going to be staying with her."

Naruto considered this. "Are these guys still going to protect _me_?"

Ino sighed, but bravely kept smiling. "We'll see."

Mira, still standing apart from us, spoke again, looking at the ceiling. "How long are you staying? With us. Will you return with us?"

Ino stood and moved closer to her, laughing, "Nope. I'm afraid that they're a bit short-handed over there." She hugged Mira tightly, nearly winding her. "Don't worry, though. It's safe. Especially for civilians." She held her friend at arm's length. "Especially for civilians with two shinobi and Jata's mother around. I'll see you there, right?"

Mira swallowed, absently fixed the glasses that had been knocked lopsided, and nodded jerkily. "Of course. It was nice seeing you."

Ino said playfully, "Nice to know that these guys haven't been tormenting you or anything."

Mira glanced at Kiba, who was slumped down in his chair with his back to her. He still grimaced.

To the general public, Ino announced, "I'll go now, then. It was fun visiting. See you soon!" She smothered Shiki for a few giggling seconds and then swept out of the room.

Kiba breathed out, ending with a whistle. "I swear, that chick's exactly like a hurricane sometimes."

Mira stayed looking at the door, and then said firmly, "Shino, may I speak with you alone?"

Kiba stood abruptly and exited the room at a pace that could be called fleeing in someone less tightly controlled.

I suggested, "Naruto, will you take Shiki training with you?"

He whined, "No training today."

I felt my jaw clench. "Please."

"But I don't know anything about your creepy bug thingies..."

"They are natural for us," I insisted. Shiki did not need the idea that he was somehow creepy. "And you must simply not worry about the kikaichu. Focus on weapons training or physical offense and defense."

Naruto looked between Mira and me and nodded quickly. "Right. Okay. Whatever you say."

I put out my hand and beckoned to my son. He jumped off his chair and came closer, taking an extra moment to straighten out his sleeves. I said, "Shiki. If you make another mistake, what do you do?"

He huffed. "Not gonna."

"What if you do?"

"Chakra inside, kikaichu will hide," he recited. "They'll come back in if the blue glow is in me instead of out."

"That is correct. Go with your Naruto-ji-san to train. Be careful not to injure him, he would complain even more."

"Yes, Daddy," Shiki said, then ran around to Naruto, who was at the door already. As the door closed, Shiki asked if it was alright that Akari was coming along.

Mira breathed out. She hadn't turned her head toward me.

I didn't know how to start the conversation.

She began fiddling with a loose thread at the end of a seam in her sweater. Though it apparently required all of her conversation, she broke the silence. "You really do love Shiki, right? That's what you're like when you love someone."

I was surprised. Was I different with Shiki? "Possibly. I do love him."

She lifted her head and smiled sadly at me. "I couldn't tell for the longest time. It worried me. You were no different with me than you were with someone like Hinata. I didn't know if you didn't love me, or if you loved her as much as me..." Her laugher was melancholic. "But that turned out to be stupid. And, of course, with Kiba wasn't even comparable to with me."

"I wasn't aware."

"For such an externally observant man, you don't know yourself at all," she agreed, coming closer. However, it was only up to a chair on the opposite side of the table, resting her hands on the back and keeping that barrier between us. "But I've watched you carefully. With Shiki, you worry more. You make sure that he understands.You... care."

"I care about you, as well."

Her tone turned sharp. "Not in the same way. Don't you dare tell me that I mean the same as Shiki, because I _know better_."

"I apologize."

She frowned at me, and then stepped around the chair and sat with her back stiff and shoulders straight. "The only other person like that is Kiba."

"I worry about Kiba? I know that he can defend himself. He's defended both of us, on more than one occasion." But, considering it, there were instances. The jounin exam, the battle against Kusa. I had worried over him then, when I thought he couldn't defend himself and would die.

She fixed the table with a malicious sneer. "You... you are affectionate. Even if you don't notice. You touch him if he needs to be touched, or try to find the right words to say when he needs them. If he's happy, your mood changes to match. If he's wound up because of a dangerous mission, like the one that gave you the long scar across your shoulder last year, you stay near him to calm him down."

"I do all of that?"

"Don't you?" she accused, looking at me sternly.

"I also care about Kiba," I conceded.

She spoke slowly, testing a tooth to see how far the ache went. "You don't love me."

I sighed. "I don't think so."

"Do you love Kiba?"

That was the closest I ever came to swallowing my own tongue. "I don't know. No one can give me an acceptable definition of what love is."

"Love is..." she began, than finally lifted her chin to look at me. She smiled, this time letting a small amount of happiness through. It lingered. "Love is when you want to always be around that person, always want to keep them happy, want them to worry and fret over you just as much, and there's always that little bit of fear that they don't love you quite as much as you love them but you think that you'll have forever to fix that and learn better..." She set her elbow on the table, and rested her cheek against the palm. "Or, that's what I think. That's what it is to me. What do I know? Turns out that my approach is a bit flawed."

"I didn't know," I said slowly. "I didn't know that I caused you so much pain."

"Not at first," she said with careful flippance. "I was very happy for the longest time. I thought I had won. Kiba was so upset and uncomfortable around me all the time, and I admit that I relished that more than I should have. I thought that things must have been strained between you, at least. But then I finally realized that you never once told me you loved me and _that_ hurt. What a fool I had been. Honestly, I'm pregnant and the best my husband can come up with is 'thank you'?"

"It seemed appropriate," I said, but now I was experiencing an odd emotional turmoil.

She can to a sudden decision and pulled her sunglasses off, two fingers pressed into her temple on either side and moving straight out. She turned her tan-kikai eyes on me. "Shino, will you answer my question as frankly as you can?"

"I will do my best."

"When we were first married, and I took my glasses off, what were you thinking about?"

I took a moment to think back. The beginning of my wedding day was vivid, but the rest was slgihtly blurred. When I saw her eyes for the first time... "I was surprised. The tan color itself was different from mine, and I only had mine to base assumptions on, at that point." It was hard to pinpoint, but there had been something else. "...And Kiba. It reminded me of Kiba. The first time he saw my eyes, he stared. That was that first time we kissed."

She nodded as though she had expected it. "After a moment, you had an expression of nostalgia, like you were remembering something pleasant. I didn't want to remind you of anyone else, I wanted to be unique... so I haven't taken off my glasses since then. Did you even notice?"

"I did. I knew that I had no right to question your decision on the subject."

"No, Shino. Don't you see?" She stood and pulled her sleeves straight over her wrists, as Shiki had done. "When you love someone, you feel comfortable asking even the most personal of questions because nothing could be said to change the way you both feel about the other."

After she had crossed to the door, she turned back to me. "When we get to Konoha, I would like a house of my own as soon as it can be arranged. I can't be around you constantly after this and watch Kiba... well. But I won't give up my son. Maybe... maybe one day a week, he won't train, but stay with me. I don't know. We'll figure something out. But is that acceptable to you?"

"Will that make you happy?"

She blinked quickly, put her glasses back on, and spoke through tears. "Yes. As much as anything will."

"Then I'll see to it. Would you like to be in the civilian quarter?"

She shook her head. "All of my friends are ninja. Besides, I don't think that I would fit in with civilians very well at this point."

"Then where-" I began, but she had disappeared through the open door.

I heard her footsteps headed away, and sent a kikai after her. It made it to Kiba's bedroom, and Mira closed the door after it.

_She turned, and Kiba was stretched out on his bed, head resting on his arms and hazel eyes fixed on the ceiling. "I figured you'd be in here eventually."_

_"I need to talk to you."_

_"About Shino."_

_"Yes."_

_He sighed. "Fine. But first..." He lifted his head and pointed at me, the kikai. "Private convo, here. Scram."_

I cut the connection.

At least they didn't seem ready to inflict serious damage on each other.

* * *

After he returned from training, Naruto packed all of his things quickly. Kiba was apparently ready by lunchtime of the same day. 

Mira didn't complain. She didn't usually, but as we packed she didn't say anything beyond a 'thank you' for someone's help or to speak to Shiki.

I prepared quickly enough. I had gained a few things, like scrolls and interesting weapons found at a market, as well as a complete outfit of civilian clothes given to me for my last birthday by Kiba. All in all, accoutrement amounts could be compensated for.

Shiki required three separate talks to impress upon him the importance of returning to Konoha, where there would be many more shinobi to train with, and then the importance of asking for help packing if he needed it, and then the importance of packing lightly and to convince him that, yes, there were beds, and even bedsheets, in the mysterious Konoha.

But we packed. We said goodbye to the Toudai family, who were all very understanding and accommodating for civilians, and were on our way within three days.

* * *

When we arrived in Konoha, there was a crowd gathered in the main hub of the streets, shuffling around aimlessly in the large center of the village and spilling outwards to fill the closer branches. 

Naruto grumbled, "Everyone's in the _way_. I'm tired, dammit."

Kiba suggested, "We could find a street that has fewer- uh, whoa. Do any of you smell that?"

Mira, holding Shiki on her hip, sighed, "No, Kiba. No one can smell anything but you."

"It's just that I smell melons. Like, artificial melon flavor, you know? Someone around here is fruitastic. It reminds me of Itari."

I said, "It _is_ Itari."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because Naruto has a Jata behind him."

Kiba and Mira turned to where Naruto had been leaning against the cart. Now, Jata was pinning both of his wrists to his back with one hand while the other was sealed over his mouth, forcing him to bend his head back and expose his neck.

Naruto had learned enough not to struggle, at least. He was calmly staring at the sky and cooperating with whatever way she chose to position him, blinking rhythmically. Blinkblinkblink. Blink...blink...blink... Blinkblinkblink.

I said, "Hello, Jata."

She slid her purple eyes over to me and nodded her greeting.

Naruto's neck popped. He blinked faster.

Kiba said, "Look, Jata, sweetheart, I know that you and Naruto here don't exactly have a sterling history, but I'm sure that he promises not to... um, you know, interfere with Itari and Sasuke anymore."

Naruto's blue eyes widened as he obviously came to a realization that he had not chanced upon before.

Sasuke.

Jata's purple eyes flashed from Naruto to Kiba and back, and then she stepped back. As Naruto tried to massage both wrists and his neck at once, Jata circled to stand in front of him and held up two fingers to point at her eyes. She turned her hand around and the fingers pointed at Naruto.

He nodded quickly. "You're... uh, you're watching me. Yes. I get it. Alright. Perfectly uderstandable... datte bayo..."

And then Itari collided with me.

I kept both feet planted and managed to support her weight as she gave me a very exuberant hug. "Hey! You guys are back! It's been forever!"

She let go of me, and gave Mira a more careful embrace, making sure to get acquainted with the little boy in her arms before tackling Kiba as she had me. "Lucky you, getting back here right when Tsunade-san's about to announce something!"

Sasuke stepped up to my right, wearing a black turtleneck and holding a leg half-heartedly with one hand.

The leg was part of a set that belonged to a girl sitting cheerily on Sasuke's shoulders. She was staring out over the crowd from her vantage point, occasionally stopping to pet a small kitten for which she had decided that Sasuke's head would make an excellent bed.

I said, "You must be Mikoto."

She blinked at me with black eyes, biting a small pink-painted nail with her teeth. "Yeah," she said happily. "How did you know that, creepy guy?"

I tilted my head.

She tilted hers.

Sasuke snorted at us.

Itari had finished telling Kiba and Mira about... whatever she had been talking about. Now she turned and was face-to-face with Naruto, who was frowning at the ground.

Itari sighed and pushed her now-shoulder-length hair behind one ear. "Listen, Naruto-kun, I'm not mad about any of that before, okay? It wasn't your fault, and I made my peace with the idiot who knocked me up _years_ ago." She held out her hand hopefully. "Friends?"

Naruto grinned and gave her just as big a hug as she had given any of us. He liked to move past animosity at speed.

Jata made her kunai vanish with something approaching disappointment, and then looked away. She was pouting, I thought. So much as Jata could pout.

Kiba's nose twitched and he looked away into the crowd. "Naruto, go dead west, okay? Hurry. I duuno how long she'll stay there."

Naruto looked about ready to ask a question.

Kiba growled, "It's Hinata, you idiot!"

"Ah!" he laughed, and then he was fighting through the crowd.

Sasuke watched him go, silently adjusting his posture to keep his daughter from tumbling backward.

I said, "I'll accompany him. Our mission stands. Stay with Mira and Shiki."

As I left, Kiba shouted after me, "Oi, she's _my_ sister, too, ya jerk!"

I chased Naruto, catching the random flash of his orange jacket without much challenge.

Suddenly, there was a cheer from all around me. When I glanced up, Tsunade was leaning against her podium above the crowd and gingerly laying her left arm against it to keep it from jarring. She looked no different from what I remembered, but that was a facade. She was obviously still employing her youthful genjutsu to appear in good health. Favoring her left arm was proof enough of that.

I caught up with Naruto. He had both arms wrapped tightly around Hinata, and her forehead was against his neck. Neji was a few feet away, arms crossed, with a two-year-old girl holding onto his clothes to his right and a boy standing tall and independent on his left.

Booming out over the crowd with a voice-amplifying jutsu, Tsunade said, "Hey, guys."

They all cheered again.

Hinata stood back, tears in her eyes and one hand clasped over a chain of gold at her neck. Naruto put his hand over hers and turned it over, to be sure of the blue stone there.

Tsunade went on, "So you all heard about the suicide bomber from last week, right?"

Booing. One man - was it always the same man? - shouted, "But nothing can hurt you!"

She was very far away, but a shift in her dark lips suggested a smile. "True as that may be, I figure that it'll be best to bring in someone else for them to through things that go boom at. Someone with a head full of rocks, so that nothing's going to knock the sense out of him. Hasn't got sense to begin with."

General upset. "You're retiring?"

Naruto probably wasn't listening, talking into Hinata's ear urgently about something that was making her her cry more - but I didn't interrupt, since it seemed to be a happy kind of crying.

"Yes, I'm retiring. Working sucks, and this way I can hang out and drink."

Scattered laughter, mass displeasure. "Who's replacing you?"

"Duh. The jounin with the highest level of combined skill and chakra amounts to back it up. Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto stopped talking, breathing, and moving.

Hinata turned to him in astonishment.

Neji wasn't surprised.

It was simple to look through the crowd and find who was ANBU and expected it, who was too young to know the name, and who knew the name very well and remembered exactly why Naruto had massive amounts of chakra and how many people had died to seal that source within him. But the last were all at least thirty-five, and the newer generation were the ones to whom the decision belonged.

Naruto appeared to be in cardiac arrest, and slowly fell backward onto the ground.

As Hinata worried over him, I picked him up and slung him over my shoulder. "Hello, little sister. It's nice to see you. Kiba is also eager to see you."

She said, "I'm so happy, Onii-chan. Isn't it wonderful?" before I used a flicker technique to get out of the crowd quickly and take Naruto to the Hokage's quarters, where Tsunade was already resting and had given up the genjutsu.

Her arm looked as though it had been raked by a large animal's claws, but I assumed that that was shrapnel damage. Her hair was pure white, and she seemed to have aged ten more years that usual. Not to mention the burn marks and scars along her legs and hands.

She grinned. "Welcome back, Aburame. So tell me, did you see his face? Was it great?"

I said, "He was certainly surprised. I'm sure that he will see the humor soon."

"I certainly hope so. Kid hasn't got a chance without a bit of cheer."

I left her leaning over her successor, drinking a very well-deserved cup of sake.

Times had changed.

* * *

Augh. Long chapter, because when I planned everything out I didn't realize how hard it would be to actually jam the things that needed to be there into less than 20k words or something. 

I dunno that Ino is in character. In fact, I'm pretty sure she's not. I justify it with the following: it's been nearly ten years since the anime. She was, let's face it, loud, angry, and a drama queen. Now, she's been through a rough and upsetting breakup with Shikamaru and gotten past it, and now she's more determined to be nice to everyone - even if her personality is still forceful and 'nice' involves threatening to break someone's leg.

What else... oh. Chairs. The Toudai place had chairs, and doors, and is apparently built in the Western style. So sue.

Aaah. Next chapter, prepare for even more reunions. Like with Shibi.

I think. Haven't really planned these things out. But Shibi'll definitely be in there, since I think he's actually really cool.

Review!


	33. This

Yes, I'm still continuing this story. I'm sorry. Hey, though, guess what; I'm going to graduate half a year early! Isn't that neat? It means that I will never have free time again.

This chapter's all over the place, the feel and the focus is just -well, off. Whatever. It's three and a half in the morning, and I'm declaring it done.

Now, off to Maryland for a week, with less guilt on my soul.

* * *

When we arrived at the Aburame Complex, the group had dwindled to Mira, Shiki, and I. Kiba had gone to his own home soon after I had returned. 

The protective jutsus over the gates were not activated, but I still reached out and let my kikaichu run over the nameplate. Shiki demanded that his mother bring him closer, and let fifty kikai out to scurry around, not focused on the raised characters but clumsily copying what mine had done, and then the back of his hand glowed with more energy than was required and the kikaichu hurried back into him.

Mira's arms were tighter when she resettled him on her hip, and her hand pressed his face firmly into her shoulder.

Baru came out to meet us when she heard the wheels of the cart. There were more hugs, and she hadn't met Shiki, so she stole him away to shower him with toys and playthings that seemed suspiciously familiar. Mira began unpacking, and I quickly took in all of the heaviest things.

When I asked her if she needed anything else, she raised one shoulder and said, "I'll be sure to tell you when I do."

I left her unfolding Shiki's clothes in what had been my room for most of my life, and went to the front of the house, at the end of the first main hallway.

I didn't knock on the doorjamb. I slid the screen door open and stepped inside.

There was Father, bent over the same reports and scrolls as ever. There were more gray hairs since the last time I had stood in this room. Of course, I had seen him two years before, when he had visited Bujitaihei and met his grandson – but we hadn't spoken then, had barely been in the same room alone.

He didn't look up at me. "Shino."

My shoulders relaxed. "Father."

He motioned to the chair in front of his desk. As I took it, he finished his sentence and pushed the report a few inches away from him.

I said, "I'm home."

"So I had gathered."

"Mira and Shiki are here, as well."

He leaned back in his chair. "Then all is right with the world."

"Uzumaki Naruto has been named the Sixth Hokage."

He lowered his chin to his collarbone. It would take more than that to surprise him. "The Fifth will linger for at least a month more, instructing him. He had no warning."

"She was highly amused by it."

"You and the Ki-baka boy will continue as his guards."

"Yes." It was easy to settle into a rapid-fire pattern, with one-syllable answers. This was familiar.

"The assassination attempts will continue."

"Yes."

"Do not fail."

"I missed you."

Father didn't react.

I paused, reflected on my words, and revised, "I had grown accustomed to your presence, Father."

He set his elbow on the arm of his chair and wiped a hand across his mouth. After a moment, he swallowed, and asked, "Your son is three."

I said, "Yes."

"You've begun training with him."

"Yes."

He waved his hand, telling me to expand upon this. "Is he making you proud?"

"Every day."

He very, very nearly smiled. "I missed you, as well."

For a sleeting moment, I desperately wanted to see his eyes. All black, like mine.

Nevertheless, the tan was a part of my son. A part of my life.

"Mira is going to move," I said suddenly.

He sighed. "I see."

"I haven't found a house for her yet, but I'll be able to earn enough to let her live in whatever manner pleases her. She may even find employment of her own, but only if it will make her happy. She will not live with me, but she would like to visit with Shiki once a week – I'll arrange his training around it. He should have his mother."

Father let his head slant to the side. "You say it will 'make her happy'. Is that all it is?"

I didn't know how he wanted me to answer. I didn't know what was appropriate. Cautiously, I said, "I can't give her anything else. This is what she asked of me."

He shook his head. "May she find what she hopes to find in that."

I was silent for a long time. Father didn't speak or move, barely even breathing. Finally, I asked uncomfortably, "Did you and Mother… love each other?"

He straightened in his chair. Whatever he had expected, it hadn't been that. "What do you remember of her?"

"Very little," I admitted. "Her face. Her voice, at rare times."

"You were young," he conceded.

I sat there, still. I had wondered for a very long time, and, once I had asked, I became resolved to hear the answer.

"Your mother was… joy." He turned his face to the window that lurked behind neatly stacked scrolls and books. "She smiled, laughed, played with you constantly. Forced me to become more socially active."

Images of Father being 'more socially active' superimposed themselves over the memory of his prank for Kiba's seventeenth birthday.

Daring me to ask about his experiments, he said gravely, "It was a very eventful seven years."

I said, "Regardless - were you in love?"

He balked, but nodded. "Yes. I was in love with her."

"How did you know?"

He frowned at me, waited too long to consider his words, and then said, "I apologize for letting your marriage to Mira go through."

Settling back in my chair - I had come to the edge of it at some point - I said, "It was for the good of the clan."

"It was unfair to you," Father insisted. "You were raised to obey my orders and maintain a distance from all others. I understand the strain this has put on you, and all your relationships. I saw it happening and did nothing to curb it."

I was uncomfortable. Father was all but admitting his complete failure as my parent.

He looked at me while longer, and then shook his head again. "I understand," he repeated. "You are very similar to me. I can see your mother in the friendships you have developed, but I can see more of myself in you. You asked how I knew that I was in love with your mother." He rubbed at a small kikaichu-begotten scar in the center of his palm. "She was the first - and _only_ - person to come close enough to know me."

I should leave. I had heard more than I ever needed to. However, there was one last question, suddenly in my mind. "The kikaichu that you received in the marriage ceremony. Do you have them?"

Father pulled his report closer, picked up his pen. "No. They died long ago."

I nodded, stood, and bowed. I was ready to leave. I took one step toward the door.

"Naturally, though, I carry their descendants. They make up roughly half my population."

I continued walking. Under my feet, the boards echoed with a hollow creak more pronounced than I remembered.

* * *

Naruto's first independent action as Sixth was to invite the Kazekage, and one guest, to dinner. 

However, Naruto didn't have a house, and refused to share the Hokage quarters with Tsunade. He had nowhere to entertain them.

Naruto was not known for planning ahead.

Logically, he found it perfectly acceptable to ignore most of the rules of etiquette and ask the Hyuugas to oblige him.

Hinata tried to impress upon Naruto how bad of an idea this actually was – she had heard what had happened from her husband, presumably – but Naruto was not there, and did not know. He was very pleased with himself, for thinking of it; "Nearly get the whole gang back together, huh? All you guys that went over for a month, I mean."

Neji abruptly left the room with a sour turn to his lips.

Hinata still tried to refuse, but it was hard. Naruto didn't bring his new status to bear and honestly never intended to, but our sister had never been able to deny the people she loved when they asked things of her.

Thus, two weeks after we returned, we sat at dinner with self-satisfied Naruto, nervous Hinata, ill-tempered Neji, quiet twins, taciturn Gaara, and politically savvy Temari.

When the food was served, I quickly took the first bite. The kikaichu, which would protect me from most poisons, reported nothing out of the ordinary. I nodded slightly.

Across the table from me, Kiba stopped pinching Naruto's leg and allowed him to eat.

Naruto hadn't gotten used to bodyguards. It was my fault; I had allowed our protection of him to relax in the years removed from a village full of people would had fifty-four ways to kill a person quickly, silently, and at their leisure at any given moment.

Now, Kiba and I were training Naruto to respect his guards' attempts to protect him, and to be more careful in daily life for his own sake. Progress was slow.

A few minutes passed as everyone began their meals. The twin children, Hideo and Hime, were seating between Temari and me. Every few bites, Hime tugged on her brother's shirt and whispered to him in urgent, broken sentences. Hideo simply ignored her, aware of the solemn occasion and determined to mimic his father exactly, including posture and expression.

Naruto never liked silences. "So! Gaara – oh, I mean Kazekage…guy… um, it's been a long time!"

Gaara looked up from his plate, and then back down.

Uzumaki Naruto was not one to be deterred. "Since that time last year-tebayo. Remember? You passed through Bujitaihei and hung out for nearly a whole day."

Gaara completely ignored him. On his right, Temari picked up the thread, and covered for her taciturn younger brother. "Yes, Hokage-sama, I remember. And the last time you were in Sunagakure was-"

"Yeah, I haven't been in your end of the desert since before Shiki was born!" Naruto finished for her. "Hey, I haven't checked in a while – How often _does_ Shikamaru get out there?"

Her blue eyes softened, though her plastic, diplomatic smile did not. "Nearly once a month, these days. More often, if there's been an event here."

"He doesn't stay for long," Naruto said. He knew more about this subject than most, since Shikamaru had stayed over with us more often than not on his journeys.

"No, Hokage-sama. Only two or three days, at most. The one time the envoy has needed to remain longer was…" She cut herself off when she realized where the sentence led.

"That time before the battle with Kusa, right?" Naruto finished for her, as he had before.

Temari chewed her lip and didn't look at anyone.

Hinata wiped her mouth and stood. "I'm sorry. Hideo, Hime – it's time for bed, sweets."

Hime stood, nearly overbalancing from her babyish roundness. Hideo stayed where he was. "Want dessert…!"

Hinata had come around the table and picked up her daughter. Her sigh was long-suffering. "Please, my own. I'll fix you something in the kitchen."

"Stay with Daddy!"

Neji said, "Hideo. Obey your mother. I won't repeat myself." He sounded as though he'd told his son this too often.

The toddler pulled at his black hair and blinked with large, white eyes. Defeated, he climbed to his feet and followed Hinata through a connecting door.

Naruto stubbornly grasped at his last topic. "Hey. Kiba. I forget – who all went on that month-long thing in Suna?"

Kiba spoke through his teeth. "Shikamaru, Neji, Lee, Shino, and I."

Naruto winced. There was hope that he had finally realized his faux pas. Whatever he _had_ understood, he felt the need to forge on ahead. "Ooh, and it was right after that when Lee died, datte bayo." His habitual smile faded. "Wow. You know, I miss that crazy guy. He was pretty awesome, most of the time."

Gaara took a mouthful of his dinner and commented, "He was a competent soldier."

Neji glared at the place where Hinata's hand had been resting over his at the start of the meal. He forced himself to say, "Don't - talk about him."

The Kazekage didn't notice, apparently. "Very strong. Fast. No head for strategy."

"Don't you dare," Neji hissed, still looking away from him.

Temari was frightened, visibly shaking. She moved her hand as though to touch her brother's arm, and stared at his blood-red hair and sharp, observant eyes. "Gaara."

He put more food in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. "He was the only person to spar me honestly."

Neji choked on his drink, and coughed out, "He sparred you?"

Gaara watched him with only the barest suggestion of interest, which was more attention than he usually paid to issues so far removed from the village he protected. "Yes."

Neji's eyebrows pinched together and his mouth twisted. "You two fought when we tested for chuunin ten years ago. You broke his leg so severely that he might never have walked, let alone been promoted! What if he had been injured again?"

Shoulders moved, too awkward and stiff to be a shrug. "He was not hurt. He could nearly match me."

Hinata came back into the room, and caught the gist of the conversation instantly. She ducked her head down, apologized quickly, and went to sit beside her husband.

He didn't look up when she did so. Instead, he pulled his anger into himself and his breathing hitched once, very slightly. "You didn't know him, though. You didn't know him like I knew him."

Gaara blinked at him, and his tone was almost surprised as he answered, "I knew him as thoroughly as you. A true shinobi can discern much from a fighting style, and we would have long discussions afterward."

There was absolute silence around the table. Everyone not involved - at least, not to the same degree - shared concerned glances. Temari, Kiba, and Naruto were poised to stop a physical attack; Hinata chewed her lip in worry.

Neji snarled, but stayed in his seat. "I loved him."

Gaara blinked again, ate some more, swallowed. He was immune to the tension. "I also loved him."

"You didn't!" Neji yelled, and tried to stand. He was the highest class of ninja; it should have taken him a fraction of a second to find his feet. However, he stayed sitting.

Because Hinata, very unobtrusively, had leaned most of her weight on his bent legs under the table. Naruto was focusing on her personal struggle with her husband, now, rather than any impending attack against a major political ally.

Kiba's long, sharp fingernails scrabbled at his ankle, nervous and tense. His other hand was clamped around Naruto's wrist as a warning.

Neji was restrained, but added, "If you loved him, you would never have killed him!"

Temari was pale, but with her tanned skin, she wound up tinged yellow. She shifted closer to her ward and brother, overlapping his shoulder with hers. "Neji, I think you should calm down."

"You saw him," he said. His voice was nearly a whine, accusing and demanding at once. "You all saw him. How he changed, and then - and three days later he was -" Neji was swallowing his own words, tripping over them. His milky, staring eyes jumped from Temari's face to mine, from mine to Kiba's. He ignored Naruto and Hinata altogether.

Gaara, ever clear-headed and direct, finished for him, "Dead." Silence returned. His hand stayed down, he didn't eat. "Three days later, Lee was dead."

Neji's face was red in dark blotches. "-Yes. And he was never the same, like he was before." He looked back at Gaara, leaned into the table. "The last time I saw him - Lee - the real Lee - was in your twice-damned office that day. And then you had to tell him and he never came back. Because he died."

It was fortunate that they were on opposite sides of the Hyuuga's round table. Hinata, Naruto, and Kiba; Temari and I. On either side, there were at least two jounin between Neji and certain death.

Gaara waited patiently though the tirade. His shallow green eyes saw everything. "You would rather I had not told him."

Neji straightened up and pushed his hair back into place. "You shouldn't have. You knew that we were-"

Gaara stood up faster than I could track. His voice was incongruously calm. "I knew. I took the same opportunity that you did, at some point." His eyes settled on the top of his sister's blond ponytails, and he adopted the tone of recitation. "He deserved to know what I felt. He would make a choice himself. I would regret it if I did not tell him."

Neji spat, "He was _mine. _How could you ever think of having him?"

Gaara titled his head back, looking at Neji over the curve of his cheekbone. "I put him in an impossible position. That is something Lee told me."

Neji went almost cross-eyed when he heard something connected to his old friend. "What else? What else did he tell you?"

"He told me," Gaara began. He paused, debated over his own words, and finished, "He told me that you would not want to hear what he said."

Neji shot up. His wife let him go. Had they been standing toe-to-toe, Neji would have towered over the Kazekage. "Tell me."

Gaara didn't care one way or the other. "After I told him, Lee said that it was difficult. He did not want to lose either of us." His mouth curled in something ever nearly like a smile. "We were both Friends in his Hour of Need."

Neji closed his eyes and smiled as well. His lips moved around the word, "Lee," and he laughed.

Hinata was smiling, too, but with a very real sadness in her eyes.

Neji came back to himself. "Who does – _did_ he choose?"

"Choose? He didn't choose."

Neji bit his tongue and his shoulders sank down.

Gaara sat down again. "No matter what he did, someone would be hurt. So, he took the hurt into himself and did not choose."

Neji winced. After a second, he grimaced.

There were a few quiet moments. Gaara took another bite of his dinner. He asked prosaically, "How did he die? I never knew."

Neji swallowed. Kiba tried to glance at me discretely. Hinata was staring at her food with one hand over her stomach.

Slowly, Neji lowered himself into his seat. "It was – it was a battle. He was injured. Killed…almost instantly."

No. He had had enough time to kill his attacker. Plenty of time to feel pain.

Gaara looked at him steadily. "That does not answer my question."

Neji closed his eyes as if in pain. "Two assailants, on myself and Inuzuka Kiba. I did not defend myself. Lee attacked him, instead. Katana in the chest, exiting through the right clavicle. He died standing."

Kiba shuddered. He hadn't heard them coming, either.

Gaara nodded. "He died defending you."

Neji's face was pinched and drawn. "Yes."

"And you wonder who he chose?"

The stiffness went out of him, and he seemed exhausted. Neither of them said anything further.

There was nothing for us to do but resume the meal.

However, Hinata never took her hand from her stomach, and Naruto never moved his shoulder more than half a foot away from hers until the meal was over.

* * *

Naruto took walks at dusk, we learned. I didn't remember any such thing in the three years that we had all lived together. However, now that Konoha was, in a sense,_ his_, Naruto had a penchant for walking through it.

And it was more a directionless meander than anything as planned or routine as a 'walk'. He used the streets, never the rooftops; he greeted every passerby and made a point of asking their name. He could never remember, later – but he asked.

So we wandered a yew yards behind Naruto, Akamaru gone home to find a meal because he was too distinctive. We had nearly reached the quarters of the Hokage.

"So. How's Akari?" he asked. Naruto led us down a now-deserted street.

"Housebroken, since your sister visited. My son tried and failed to train her for nearly two weeks."

"You see? Hana-nee-chan can do anything."

"Yes. Usually much more efficiently than you can."

"Hey, I try. It's hard to best someone as awesome as her."

Naruto turned into a thin side-alley. We followed, a respectful distance behind, leaving him to his thoughts.

I said, "Shiki's training is going well. He should be eligible to enter the Academy in under a year."

"Ah, the good old days, when you and I never spoke and Naruto was all sunshine." He winked at me. "I miss those days."

I considered those days. They had been distinctly solitary. "I don't."

His smile flagged, and then he beamed. "Yeah. Me neither."

We emerged onto the next street and Naruto was nowhere in sight. We dropped into defensive stances.

Kiba sneezed. "Oh. _Fuck_. Someone dropped a scent bomb." His eyes were starting to water, and he held a sleeve up under his nose.

I could smell it, too; a weird mix of potpourri and aniseed oil that didn't affect me as it did Kiba.

A kikai pushed it's way out from behind my ear. I had placed a female on Naruto's person, and a male could follow her anywhere, even underwater. The black insect lifted off of my skin. I focused my chakra, and –

_I wavered in the air. Here was my Abu, and the Inu next to him. Their chakras were distinctive. And, through the whiteout of the scent, I could taste the chakra of the Uzu and a female – to the north!_

"North," I said, and began to run. Kiba kept right behind, breathing through the mouth and stumbling when he couldn't open his eyes.

Down a street, to the left, up another. How far had he gone?

We reached the mouth of a dark, damp space, no more than a crack in the wall. One body lay on its back, the other standing over it, frozen.

Kiba barked, "Who are you?"

The figure lifted its head, and red flashed in his eyes. "Uchiha Sasuke."

His voice hardened. "Is Naruto alive?"

Sasuke scowled at us and nudged Naruto's shoulder with his boot, earning a groan. "I didn't try to attack him, you fucking idiot. I just _saved_ his ass. Isn't that _your_ job?"

Kiba spat back, "The bastard knows that Shino and I guard him. Knew how to counter _me_, at least." He could talk without a hand in front of his face, now.

Sasuke just shrugged. He didn't care about us. He turned back to looking at Naruto.

I asked, "How did you know that Naruto was in danger, Sasuke-kun?"

"It's funny," he answered thoughtfully. "I was always around him. Even before they put us on a genin team together. At academy, he just – he was always trying to catch up to me." He lifted his head again. His eyes were narrow, accusing. "Why did I only want to be away from him, back then?"

Kiba shoved his hands in his pockets. It was dark, and cold with the coming winter.

My anniversary was in winter, I remembered ludicrously.

"Sasuke, is Naruto hurt?"

He didn't seem to hear. "And then we went on missions together, and I had to fight _with_ him or _against_ him. We ended up near each other every minute of every day. And I still wanted him to just stay – the fuck – away."

Kiba sighed and said in a stage whisper, "Hey, though. I guess medical attention can wait."

"And when everything was fucked up and - and I finally got him to stay away - all I wanted was to spend time with him again." Sasuke had reached the major issue of his entire monologue.

He crouched down over the half-conscious man, and tapped the palm of his hand against his cheek. "Oi. Dobe."

Naruto jerked and grumbled, "Fuck. Go to hell, teme..."

"I'll get there first, then," Sasuke shot back. His tone was bored and superior, but I had the impression that he was smiling.

"Over my dead body. Waitaminute-"

Sasuke stood and, with a small expenditure of energy, vanished.

"-Why am I still alive?" Naruto finished.

Kiba jogged closer. "You got knocked out, guy. Do you remember who did it?"

Naruto curled up, rubbing the back of his head. "Well. No. Well - kinda. Not really. No."

"That's helpful."

"I was thinking about... stuff... and then the guy bashed me inna head-tebayo. I kinda remember his chakra. Wasn't totally out of it when he was dragging me to hell and gone. And then he hid me because...datte bayo..." He hummed, trying to fight off a minor concussion. "What...? That can't be right. Sasuke saved me?"

"That's correct," I informed him.

"Weird. Anyway, I'm going to go to sleep now." He slumped back against Kiba's shins.

Kiba sighed. "I might be wrong about this, but... isn't it very, very not good to sleep after a head trauma?"

"Yes. Wake him."

Kiba tried everything up to and including fastening his claws around Naruto's jugular. Naruto was going to stay out.

He whistled. "Let's hope he keeps breathing. If Tsunade hears about Sasuke alone with an unconscious Naruto and that we let him die, all at once... we are in such deep shit."

"No. We'll simply have to explain why it took so long to take him to a hospital."

He coughed, and probably rolled his eyes. "Alright. I've got him. Let's go."

We both flickered and left at the same time.

* * *

We sat together in the waiting room for an hour, listening to a tired, nightshift Sakura lecturing about letting the Enemy within braining distance of the Hokage. 

Once she left to make her rounds, Kiba sank down on the hard bench. "I'm tired..."

"Career-threatening assassination attempts are liable to have that effect," I said, setting my hand on his hair and rubbing. This usually kept him from complaining when boredom set in.

He leaned into me. "You do know me well."

This made me wonder is he'd been complaining of simply looking for a scalp massage.

After a few minutes, his leg and hip were pressed tightly to mine. He urged, "Now my neck."

I moved my hand further down. He broke out in goosebumps, and his breathing sped up.

He cracked open one hazel - greenish, at the moment - eyes and grinned. "I meant for you to do it with your mouth."

I paused. No one was in the hospital beside two orderlies, the patients, and Sakura. I calculated that it was worth the risk.

I leaned in under his chin and pushed the collar of his jacket down. A few seconds left him with a dark bruise - a 'hickey'. He'd moaned just once, a slow, keening whine.

I sat up again. "Fix your collar and sit quietly."

Kiba rubbed the spot and tugged his jacket back into place. He glanced at me, then away. His fingers twisted up together, and then he couldn't stop himself from laughing.

Naruto was in a hospital, and assassins were becoming more daring…

Kiba kept laughing next to me, and I may or may not have been compelled to smile.


	34. Inevitable

This one is... also disjointed. I envy the earlier Me, who had time to search through the scenes for some connecting theme and then develop it in each... But, no. Now, I must away to a Kings game with my grandmother, with whom I am fighting.Whee.

* * *

Tsunade sat at her desk, elbows on wood and fingers rubbing circles into her temples. Right in front of her lay three scrolls: the top was full of indignant scrawls; the next was slightly more coherent; and the last layer's report was covered in small characters and straight lines. Her hair was gray and exhausted, and ropes of burn scars looped down her left side.  
Naruto was pacing before the desk in long, restless strides that took him from one edge to another, a large amount of angry Rokudaime Hokage confined to six lateral feet. Every few seconds, he brought his hand up to his head, and his fingers worked to scratch under the progressively-less-white bandages. 

We were standing several paces further back, at strict attention. Akamaru was on Kiba's far side, laying on his stomach in nonthreatening quiescence. We knew that there would be punishment for the poor performance during the attack the day before.

After several minutes in silence - during which Tsunade read each report diligently, without any of the comments I might have expected - Naruto couldn't stand it any longer. Very quietly, he said, "Sasuke didn't hurt me or anything."

Tsunade sighed, and the fingers pushing her headache away started to glow green with a legitimate medical ninjutsu. "Yes, Naruto. You mentioned. Actually, that's all your report says. There's no allusion to your assailant whatsoever."

Naruto blinked, and finally stopped pacing. "Oh. Right. Him. What'd'ya wanna know? I was distracted by the blunt-force trauma, so everything's a bit jumbled."

"A description, you twit. Age Height. Weight. For once in your life, act like a proper Academy-trained shinobi."

He frowned, and his expressive blue eyes became shallow and hard. He had worked too hard to stand in the Hokage's office on this day to accept any teasing. "I am a shinobi."

Kiba said, loud enough for everyone to hear but quiet enough to be 'intended' for me, "I can't tell you how many times over I'd be dead right now, if not for the runt of the family."

Naruto's posture relaxed, though neither of them acknowledged it. The word 'family' was a loaded one for an orphan now surrounded by friends.

This was a skill of Kiba's; reading a situation and keeping everyone involved stable on an emotional level. A very empathetic personality.

Tsunade sighed again. "Fine. Fine. But what do you remember?"

Naruto's face screwed up in memory. "It was a guy. And - I would know his chakra. From the calluses on his hand - he had me around the diaphragm - the bastard uses weapons more than jutsus."

I suggested, "Uchiha Sasuke may have seen more. Have you collected a statement?"

Her expression darkened. "His interrogation will be over soon."

Naruto was going to yell at an angry political figure close to retirement with nothing to lose. Kiba said, "You know that Sasuke saved Naruto."

"But how did he know the idiot needed saving?" she shot back. "No. I don't trust it. Besides, he'll...survive."

Naruto wanted to be heard. "I don't know why we have to find this one guy. We know it's Kumo. It's been Kumo all the time. For four fucking years. I mean, just strike at the source, you know? Take them all out, and then it's done."

Tsunade stood up. She had a way of moving that promised a great deal of hardship. "This isn't some schoolyard brawl. This is politics. You're talking about starting a war, kid. A full, war-by-attrition war."

Naruto swallowed. Clearly, he hadn't thought of it on the scale of an entire village. "...Oh."

She wasn't finished. She had been under pressure for years to preemptively counter the attacks; it was now common knowledge that Kumo no Kusa was the Enemy. The village was full of ninja, whose loyalty to the Hokage outweighed the concept of 'war by attrition'. "Naruto. You must never declare war over your own safety. It is a Hokage's duty to protect the Hidden Village of Konohagakure. It is the bodyguards' duty to protect you."

Kiba flinched.

Well. This was to be expected.

Naruto turned back to stare at us. His expression was unusual; there was the if-I-hit-harder-I'll-win brand of determination and the natural trust he felt for anyone willing to call him 'family', but under those lay more complex things, thinking as fast as he could and searching for a way to get exactly what Naruto wanted. Without looking at his predecessor and daring us to give him away, he said, "There was nothing they could have done. Bastard dropped a scent trap-bomb-thing.

That's specially targeting Kiba. He knew exactly who he was dealing with, and we have no idea."

Tsunade was unforgiving. "

As shinobi - as ANBU - these men must be prepared for anything. They failed."

-And then I knew. We failed. I failed. The Rokudaime Hokage spent the night in a hospital because his bodyguards let him out of their sight. Easily. Willingly. Just around the corner had become a live-and-death situation.

Kiba glanced at me, and shifted his weight onto his right foot, inching closer.

I failed.

Naruto was still looking at us, still thinking. "It was my fault. I insisted on taking a walk, and it exposed me."

"Naruto - they're your bodyguards. It's their job to worry about their safety, not yours. You're not going to argue your way out of this."

He opened his mouth, blinked, and then - he had found it, he had solved a maze and escaped unharmed. "It _was_ my fault. Shino told me not to go, or to let them walk before and behind. I wouldn't let them. I pulled rank and made them stand so far back that they couldn't help but lose sight of me."

I had said nothing of the sort. And Naruto would never pull rank, no matter how long he was in power.

The old woman who was once a Hokage let her shoulder sag. "I don't care. Alright. If you're willing to fight it that much." She had come around to the side of her desk, and leaned her hip against it. "Of course, you'll be assigned new guards either way."

Naruto's triumphant smile fell off his face. "What?"

"There's nothing for it. If the Enemy knows how to counter them, they're useless. Should've had them in ANBU masks from the off."

He was now facing her, arms out in most of an offensive stance. "But - but..." he flailed for words that weren't going to come.

I nearly said it - Don't fight for us, we failed - but Kiba's fingers brushed mine and warned me not to do anything. Then, I caught Tsunade's expression; testing, expectant.

He salvaged it. "But then, the bastard will expect us to switch guards. Yeah. And the one thing he won't expect will be facing the same two people. So don't reassign them."

She glanced from us to Naruto, and her forehead smoothed as much as it ever did. "Okay. I won't switch them. But you two," she stuck her thin and gnarled finger out at us, finally willing to address us directly, "will be in full ANBU gear. Don't be recognized."

We both nodded. Naruto grinned at us as though he had successfully avoided an exploding tag.

Suddenly, an aide burst into the room. "Hokage-shama, theshe are for you to shign. Naruto, you should read them, too." Then, she looked up, and skidded to a stop.

I looked again; her hair was down in long waves, and she ware the black robe of an administrative aide. But if she tied her hair up in two high buns, the woman would look exactly like-

"Tenten?" Kiba asked, shocked.

Tenten hung her head and bowed quickly. "I'm shorry. I didn't realishe that you were in a meeting."

Tsunade motioned for us to go. She made sure to face Tenten fully, and said, "I'm done. What documents?"

We stepped into the corridor, but Naruto couldn't come with us. We moved into a side room, which had a small, one-way mirror with which we could monitor the Hokage's actions for danger.

The sound of the door clicking shut covered the soft thump as Kiba pressed me against the far wall. In a quiet, tense voice, he snarled, "Say that we didn't fail."

"We did," I murmured back.

"No," he insisted. His hands gripped my shoulders almost painfully. "No. We did what we could. We handled the situation as shinobi should - it couldn't have been a full minute from when we lost him to when we found him again. And you know how Naruto is with injuries. Heals like the devil. He's alive. _You didn't fail_."

"Kiba, let me go."

He pressed his cheek against mine urgently, growling deep in his throat. The contact burned. "You didn't fail. Say it."

"Kiba."

He straightened up - he was on the edge of tears - and put out one hand. "Give them to me."

I slid my sunglasses off and handed them over. The action was automatic, now. "This isn't the time."

He held them, looked at himself in their black lenses, and then his fingers closed tightly around them and he stepped back to the door. His face was set and resolute. "Say it. You didn't fail." His other hand found the doorknob. "Or I'm going to leave."

I said, "I didn't fail." I didn't believe it. But a part of me did, and loosened somehow.

"Again."

"I didn't fail." More loosened, but some tightened. "Give them back."

He blinked at me, and held them out. I took them, and the world darkened into a safe gray. "Sorry," he said. "Shino, I'm sorry for - for threatening to do that. But you were... Listen, we didn't fail. If we did, Naruto wouldn't have kept us on. He's trusting us with his life."

What had Father said? _Do not fail_. And only days later –

Teeth fastened on my jaw, breaking skin. When they disappeared, the kikaichu churned into action repairing the damage.

Kiba whined, "Don't do _that_. I've known you for ten years, Shino. You've never doubted yourself. I love you. You can't do this to me. I can't - you - just _don't_."

I glanced through the tiny viewing window. Naruto was finished with the documents. I stepped into Kiba, towards the door. "We're going."

He nodded glumly and began to shuffle out of the way.

I pushed my glasses up to my forehead and kissed him. Against his lips, I said, "Apology accepted." Then, they fell back into place and I stepped into the hall, one pace behind Naruto.

Tenten was dropping a heavy stack of documents off with Shizune, whose desk rested in a little niche in the wall. Kiba called, "Hey! Tenten!"

She didn't look up until Shizune tapped her wrist and pointed. "Oh. Hey! I wash going to shay shomething in the offishe. It'sh been yearsh. How are you?"

Naruto said, "We have some time. Do you wanna get some ramen or something?"

"Of courshe!" She put on a mock-pleading expression. "Shizune?"

"Just go," the woman said, with a would-be-disapproving scowl. "But get the idiot back by two."

"Alright. I guesh I'm free."

* * *

Tenten ate her ramen with almost as much alacrity as Naruto, slurping loudly and unawares. 

After she finished her first bowl – our ward was ordering his third – Kiba touched her arm. She looked up, and her brown, observant eyes ran over his face to settle on his mouth.

He smiled. Kiba always liked Tenten and her straightforward personality. He asked, "So, you're for the admin division?"

"Ya." She waved a hand that took in her entire head, but primarily her right ear. "Can't do missionsh, sho I jusht read about them. Almosht good enough."

He leaned a little closer, crossed his arms on the table. "Are you happy, though?"

"Happy?" She made a face. "Be realishtic, Kiba-kun. I'm deaf, not shtupid. What I wouldn't give to shummon a couple of shtarsh, and then – let fly. Kill shome Enemiesh. Kill the bashtard who did it." She rolled her shoulders back, twirled a finger in her long, loose hair. "But that'sh old newsh. Four yearsh of wishing. It'sh not going to happen."

Kiba spun the bowl inside his hands. "You got your eye on anyone?"

There was a beat as she worked out what his lips had formed, and then she rolled her eyes. "You're ashking about Neji, aren't you?"

"How'd you know?"

She waved her hands, and mostly ignored the question. "You guysh left, like, a few monthsh after the battle – you know. Lee. And the flashbang. And the thing with Hinata."

Kiba winced and glanced back at me. "Yeah. That. Fun times."

Tenten wasn't looking at him, didn't know that he had spoken. "And Neji wash in a bad plashe, and I wash being weird about Lee and my hearing. And you know how I wash about Neji." She decided this was enough explanation and bent down to her ramen. After a few slurping bites, she reconsidered and went on, more loudly. "We were jusht – that'sh how theshe thingsh go. People take up after a death, and then – it doeshn't work out."

Kiba didn't try to interrupt her. His nails were beginning to dig into his palms, though. He had never enjoyed stories with unhappy endings.

"All the time, thish happensh. It'sh a comfort thing." She sighed, and smiled bravely., somewhat embarrassed about the outburst. "But when we were both comforted enough… Neji remembered that he washn't that way about me. And that I washn't Lee. And he had enough on hish handsh, with the kidsh… Sho. That wash it."

I touched Kiba's elbow before he started to draw blood. He shook his head, telling me to lave him to his unhappiness.

Tenten looked out at the crowds moving down the street beyond the booth. "But it happensh. Everyone knowsh it happensh. It'sh a physhical thing, not emotional. Jusht–" she looked back at us, brown eyes full of a distant, almost-forgotten pain, "what I keep trying to figure out ish why I didn't know. But that'sh what I get for falling in love."

Kiba said, "Maybe everything'll work out."

"Ya. Maybe." Tenten rolled her eyes, and then looked at me with an unsettling, speculative gleam. "By the way – you guysh _know_ that those observation windows for the Hokage's office are see-through in both directions, don't you?"

Naruto, now on his sixth bowl, lifted his chin at this. "Ugh, I know, right? I could barely concentrate on those damn trade policies, with you two all over each other on the other side of a window."

Kiba opened his mouth, but then he flushed red and his clan marks disappeared. All he managed was, "…Oops."

Tenten and Naruto both laughed at him. The somber mood was broken, and the rest of lunch was more relaxed.

* * *

Mira stood in the receiving room where we first met, nearly six years before. He black coat was zipped up to her chin, prepared with for the dry, frigid air outside. 

I stepped into the room, Shiki trailing behind, firmly attached to the hem of my jacket. "Mira."

She turned, her long braid swinging out behind her. She went down on one knee and opened her arms, and Shiki waddled forward until his glasses pressed into her collarbone. Mira stood, holding our son on her hip.

He said, "Mommy, Ki-baka-ji-chan says you're leaving."

"Yes, sweetie, I am," Mira conceded, taking a deeper breath then necessary.

Shiki held himself off from her shoulder to search her face. "Not forever?"

"No…" She took another deep breath, and exhaled with a controlled gasp. "We'll see each other often, when you aren't training with your father. Nearly like it is now. You'll see." Her own forced optimism seemed to reassure her, and her voice grew brighter.

"But who'll make food?" His small, round fists were making irregular creases in her coat's material.

"Baru-san's will."

"Not as good…"

"She's been cooking for all of us for two whole weeks, love." Mira's voice was edging back toward that nasal quality.

"Not as good." Shiki's hands were holding a lock of his mother's hair in two places, pulling it taut. He pressed it awkwardly up to his glasses, as it to examine it in detail, memorize the smell and texture and weight.

"Oh," she groaned. "Oh, oh, oh." She rocked from one foot to the other, in a slow circle, until her back was to me. Her voice became fierce. "Shiki. My Shiki. I love you. Don't ever forget – _I love you_."

He sagged into her, confused and upset and trying to comfort his mother. "I love you, too, Mommy. A _lot_."

She sniffed and began to laugh, in long, gulping sobs. "I'll see you. I'm not saying goodbye forever, no, I'll see you often, and then I'll have you all to myself…"

After a few minutes, she lapsed into quiet words in his ear, and soon he was asleep, one pudgy cheek against a hand that still held her hair. Mira looked down at him, apparently at a loss. I stepped forward and lifted him out of her arms, careful not to jar him.

She wiped her eyes with her sleeves, pushing her square glasses up. There were no cosmetics today.

I said, "He will miss you."

"I'll miss _him_," she said back, trying to pull the red out of her cheeks and nose. "He's – everything to me. I don't know what I'll do when he's not near me."

I didn't know how this was supposed to go, but I suggested, "What you used to do while he trained."

"Cooking and cleaning. Baru's here to do that for you, and I don't make so large a mess."

I considered her answer for a long minute, and then asked, "What did you do before Shiki was born, when I trained?"

She pulled her head back in surprise, and studied Shiki's nose where it disappeared into his collar. "I just…kept busy. Just little things."

"Did they make you happy?"

"Yes. A bit. Happi_er_."

"Do those," I said gravely. "Become happy."

She smiled and gave a loose, civilian version of a salute. "Yes, sir." Then she sobered, and leaned in to press her lips against my cheek. "Thank you, Shino. And I'm sorry everything fell apart."

I said, "Anything you want, you can have."

She nodded, and walked out to the hall. "So, all I have to work on is not needing _you_." She took another step, looked to her left, and flinched. "Oh. Hello."

Kiba stepped into my line of sight, apparently without realizing what he was doing. "Listen. I never meant wanted any of this to happen."

Mira stepped back, creating more space between them. "Yes. I know."

He nodded, and started to make room from her to pass without touching him.

She shook her head and said softly, "But – you have to understand. I can't forgive you. Because you didn't stop it. And if it's not your fault, it's mine. And I couldn't handle that."

He nodded again, and lifted one shoulder in half a shrug. "It's no one's fault. It just…happened. If you ever get strong enough to see that, let me know."

She shrugged, too, but it was more drawing her shoulders in against a cold wind. "That's it, then. I'm going."

"You know, I was looking forward to spoiling the pup rotten," Kiba said wistfully. "I guess you're going to do that, huh? Make life hell for Shino."

Mira glanced back at us. "Well. Maybe a little."

Kiba was still laughing as the door shut behind her. He ended the last sound with a sigh. "Why don't you go ahead and say it, chick. Fuck. Who's going to mother him without you?" He sighed again, ran his fingers through his hair, and spoke to me, keeping him voice low for the sleeping child. "You got her a good place, right?"

"Yes. Near the market, in between two shinobi-owned complexes. She will be safe." Shiki stretched in my arms, and I rearranged my grip. "And she may decorate as she sees fit."

Kiba looked back at the door and smile with regret. "Good. She deserves it."

"Yes," I agreed. "She does."

"Now, then – who taught you son to call me 'Ki-baka'?"

"Baru."

"Ah. Of course she did." He touched the back of his finger to Shiki's cheek, frowned to himself, and looked up with his usual grin. "Come on. Let's get the pup in bed."

As I followed him, I said, "My son is not a pup."

"…Right, right. Sorry. The clan always calls its kids 'pups'."

We went down the hall, with the practiced quiet of shinobi, and Kiba had an amused, determined expression.

* * *

The ANBU vest came in two halves, a front and a back. First, though, came the soft padding, a sleeveless black turtleneck. The light blue, hard vest strapped on over the shoulder and at the side. Black gloves reached halfway up my upper arms, and over my forearms buckled more shields. Regular short, black sweatpants, and tight bandages around my shins. Tough black sandals. A katana slung across my back, so that I could reach it with my right arm. 

The mask was the standard white and red, with small holes for the eyes. I would not be able to wear my glasses underneath. Most was white, with a red band cutting through, in line with the holes, and straight down the ridge of the nose, as though outlining wings. Two symmetric red swirls hovered near the top edge, and there were dots on the stylized wings.

I put the mask on, slipping the red string around the back of my head. My sight was greatly reduced, but I would be able to cope. It took a few arm exercises to persuade the stiff vest to give me a full range of movements, but that was also acceptable.

I was strapping on the thigh holster when the bedroom door opened a crack and my son screamed. I straightened and moved to pull the door all the way open. He was in the hall, lower lip pushed out and shoulders trembling. I saw the mask reflected in his glasses and pushed it over to the left of my face.

"Shiki. I am your father."

He stumbled back a step. "Going on a mission?"

"No. This is my uniform for guarding Naruto."

"Oh." He lowered his chin, and then raised it as he looked me from feet to head. "To scare away anyone going to hurt him?"

"Yes."

"…Oh. That's okay, then." He stared at my mask, facing away from him, and pointed out, "It looks like something from the…coch-in-el-lee-day family."

"_Coccinellidae_. And, no, it doesn't look like a ladybug."

He shrugged and looked away, then said, "May you find…glore and peas on your journey."

"Glory and peace. That maxim is only appropriate for ninja leaving on extended missions."

Frowned, mentally filed away the knowledge, and looked toward the kitchen. An alluring smell was wafting. He glanced up at me hopefully.

I said, "You are dismissed."

He beamed and ran up the hall.

A few seconds later, Kiba stuck his head out from the receiving room, grinning as though he had been in hysterics very recently. He was also in full ANBU gear, but his mask was in his right hand and resembled a wolf or fox. "Hell, Shino. There's nothing for it. Your super-secret code name _has_ to be 'Ladybug' from now on."

I grimaced at him and pulled the mask back into its place. "We should go. Naruto will be late."

The next Hokage stuck his head out behind Kiba, also grinning. "I have time. This is entertaining."

Kiba came closer to me. "Hey, though. We made it. We're ANBU, for real." He pointed at his right shoulder, and then mine. "All that's missing is the tattoo, and that'll come once we – what's the rule, chibi?"

Naruto made a face. "After the first kill in the gear. Don't call me chibi, I'm your boss."

Kiba shrugged and turned his head. "Anyway. Come on, or the runt's _really_ going to be late for his date with the chick who closely resembles a daughter of the Hyuuga house, but is actually definitely and totally single."

"Screw you. At least mine's pretty."

"And mine's _mine_," Kiba gloated, pushing my mask aside so that my eyes were uncovered. But I closed them – Naruto was there – and he didn't complain before he kissed me on the cheek.

Naruto cleared his throat loudly. "_Yes, I'm going to be late._ Simmer down."

Kiba laughed and shooed our charge out the door. When he'd gone, my friend turned to me, winked, and then we both flickered to follow him discreetly from the rooftops.

* * *

So ends Mira's role in Lies. That's right; she's not going to show up again. Not in the flesh, at least. People might make reference to her, but... you know. Ding-dong, and all that. 


	35. End?

I'm sorry! Formatting fixed. Dammit, and it loses all its impact that way... I'm sorry. I can't tell you how upset I am about this.

* * *

After a particularly long session buried under drifts of paperwork, Naruto left the admin building with less than the usual spring in his step. He brought both hands up to scrub at his eyes and cheeks as he lost himself in the crowded street. 

Kiba kept watch from in front of him, moving over the rooftops easily. I remained on the opposite side of the street, a few yards behind.

Naruto made it to the end of the street before pulling up short and staring to his right, down the connection byway.

I sent a questioning signal to Kiba, who signed 'stand down' in reply.

Sasuke crossed the street with a flood of pedestrians, head hung low and black hair in his eyes. His hands were shoved deeply in his pockets, and he was trying and failing to walk with an air of nonchalance. Somehow, they both sped up or slowed down to match the other's speed.

The kikaichu I had placed on Naruto's clothing picked up their conversation. The blond said merrily, "Didja hear? I'm gonna be Hokage!"

"Of course I heard, dobe. I'm ANBU. I knew before you even _left_."

They were quiet for a few seconds. The far-off Sasuke that I could see let his shoulder hunch involuntarily.

Naruto brushed this off. "So. Itari seems as chipper as always."

"Yeah. I guess. Fucking Jata kinda mellows her out."

Naruto laughed, throwing his head back and showing his throat. "What the hell?"

Sasuke wasn't as amused. "Part of our deal, after…Mikoto was born. Holidays and birthdays, I sleep in a cold fucking bed and Itari's at Jata's doing some of the pretty weird shit she's only just heard of and always wanted to try out. Says it's fun, not a love thing. A best-friends-that-screw kinda thing."

"Jata does seem the type for kinky stuff."

"She doesn't fucking _care_ what my wife does to her. Always been a bit pissed about me and her. Loved Itari since she was fifteen, that's something like ten fucking years."

They were entering the crowded central plaza. Naruto asked innocently, "Then why did she mind so much about me?"

Sasuke's dark, bitter voice was more forced and uncomfortable. "Because it hurt Itari. Even if it helped Jata's cause, it hurt Itari, and that's not okay."

"I see."

They were at the center of the plaza, a small square with benches and a few bricks with memorial plaques on the walkway. The mountain of faces, soon to include Naruto's, rose above them.

"Hey, teme. You remember that big hoopla where you raped me?"

Sasuke froze in place. The crowd parted around him.

Naruto looked up at the sky and nodded to himself. "That was pretty fucked up."

"Naruto-"

"It would've been fine. Dandy. You just had to say _do not want_, and I would've left it. Was ready to leave it. I wasn't asking anything of you, I was just saying a fact and you went utterly batshit crazy."

"I'm-"

"And then four years passed and I don't love you anymore."

A deadly, dead silence. The figure of Sasuke at street level fell back onto a bench. "I didn't think you would."

"But I don't…hate you." Naruto was tasting the words before he spoke them. "I don't. It's weird."

"I'm_sorry_."

Naruto went on as though he hadn't spoken. "But it doesn't make sense, you know? I should despise you. Right after, for a couple of months, I would wake up in the middle of the night and remember about Jata and wonder if she killed you and think to myself _I hope she did_ because you are such… an… _ass_."

Sasuke was breathing heavily enough for my kikai to hear.

Naruto reflected on his words for a little while, and then finished happily, "So anyway. I was thinking. You wanna get some ramen?"

The Uchiha choked. "_What_?"

Naruto started to walk toward Ichiraku's. "Said I don't love you, teme, not that I don't want to be your friend."

Kiba and I shadowed them as they went. We had no choice.

Sasuke started a pointless argument, then, and seemed to become more comfortable as it spiraled in circles over and over again.

* * *

Naruto walked amiably down the street for a few seconds, and then, without missing a step, his hand went up to his head and short, spiked, blond hair fell before his dragged fingers. 

Naruto didn't do this unless he was completely satisfied, usually after stuffing himself to the eyes with ramen, or when Hinata was with him. However, Kiba ran his hand though his hair more frequently, when he was angry or upset.

It was a panic signal. Something was troubling enough that Naruto had the presences of mind to communicate in highly specific gestures.

Within ten seconds of the signal, the loud sirens mounted every half-mile throughout Konoha began to blare out the lockdown tone. Every citizen over the age of three knew the standard drill, shinobi or civilian; travel directly to the nearest shelter and await instructions. There were twenty underground shelters, and each had successive security measures that guaranteed any invader would face several waves of ninja guards before encountering civilians, the presumed targets.

There was a separate area for the Hokage, closer to the monument that sported the busts. Only ANBU operatives knew the exact location, but Kiba and I had been given a briefing. The entrance sealed itself five minutes after the lockdown alert, to keep enemies out. We were on a timer.

The crowd's pattern of purposeful chaos had collapsed into a two-part structure; civilians, genins, and chuunins moving north to the local shelter, and ANBU or jounins moving toward assigned lockdown positions. Naruto stayed still, peering at faces, expression serious and almost nervous. Then Kiba was standing with him, and then next moment they were both on the roof with me.

I asked, "What's wrong?"

"The assassin. I sensed his chakra. Creepy, black, malcontented. Yeah."

Kiba leaned over the edge to see into the street. "So, he could be one of those people?"

"I dunno." Naruto leaned over with him. "I don't feel him so much anymore. But, whatever, right?"

"Sure, chibi. Let's get you to that bunker place. Shino?"

I started running as I said, "Four minutes left. Hurry."

They followed after. Naruto took the time to retell a story about Tsunade; did we know, there was another entrance into the bunker? Only the thing is, no one knows how to find it except older ANBU, since Tsunade doesn't even make it private knowledge anymore…

Yes, we had all heard before.

* * *

The entrance was no more than a round hole, three feet in diameter, covered by a heavy, unobtrusive concrete lid. After Kiba dug his claws into the crack and pried it up, I was the first to start down the ladder into nowhere. The room was warmer and smelled of earth, all dirt and decaying leaves. I couldn't see as far as the walls. 

Naruto came down after me, accidentally stepping on my hand more than once in his distraction. Judging by their conversation, Kiba was avenging me with alacrity.

We all froze when we were interrupted.

"Oh, good, you're exactly as predictable as I had hoped," a condescending voice said from the darkness.

Kiba took the last step down from the ladder and drew in toward Naruto's opposite side, trying to see. "Who's there?"

"I mean, _really_. You didn't even change your guards, after I _very clearly_ knew who they were."

Naruto lowered his chin by degrees, and said, "Yeah. It's that jackass. The assassin guy. He beat us here."

A weak light flickered into life above us, and my spine stiffened. Kiba snarled, venomous and violent, "**_FUCK._**"

The space of the shelter was much larger than it had felt without light, the air warm and smothering. Koburon Gyo, the jounin we had worked with in Bujitaihei and Kiba had faced in our jounin exams, stood several yards off. He wore a uniform the dried grass, a hitai-ate secured at his left shoulder. The metal shone brightly in the gloom, picking out the grooves of three flattened ovals, linked in the shape of clouds. Behind him lay a still and silent shape…

Kiba barked, "Traitorous sonuva**_whore_**."

Shiki. That was Shiki, buried in his overlarge jacket. There was a glint of silver at his neck, a senbon. My son lay tranquilized a few feet behind a traitor, a defector.

Undesirable.

Naruto glanced at me, and then demanded, "Why?"

Gyo shrugged. "Because the people here are arrogant and weak. Because I, personally, won't be taking orders from a demon."

Naruto bristled, his face twisted with a very real blind rage.

"Or maybe just because Kumo pays better."

Kiba's voice was beatific, conversational. "You're an idiot. Dick move, man. Shouldn't've pissed Shino off. Really _fucking_ dumb. Now you're gonna get dead."

"Yeah. Sure." He ignored me and pointed at the next Hokage, who tried to launch into a battle. When Kiba dragged on his collar, he roared and gave off bursts of chakra at random intervals. Gyo railed on, unperturbed. "Let's get down to business, okay? Aburame has a choice: the monster, or the kid. I'm gone kill one of them in about thirty seconds."

Naruto yelled, "I'd like to see you try!"

Kiba was furious beyond anything I had ever seen from him. His voice was rough and pained as he asked quietly, "Shino?"

My shoulders were beginning to ache with the tension. "Take Naruto away."

Kiba gripped Naruto's arm and fell back a step, but his eyes were steady and wide and fastened onto the side of my face. He had to leave, immediately. Our charge was staring at my son and falling into a defensive stance and Kiba needed to find a safe place before we failed again, more permanently.

"Go," I ground out through clenched teeth. There wasn't time to explain if he didn't understand. "_Get out._"

He ran, dragging the Sixth Hokage kicking and snarling back to the ladder we had used to come into the shelter.

Gyo wasted no time flapping one arm, a weapons summon scroll unfurling with a sharp snap. As he bit his thumb for the blood that would complete the jutsu, I had already thrown a kunai and severed the scroll below the first character. He looked up at me as though he had dismissed my presence as an inconvenience.

"My son."

He glanced down at Shiki, and the small silver dart in his exposed neck. His chest barely moved as he breathed.

"Fine," Gyo drawled, one corner of his lip lifting in distaste as the cover slammed closed and an scroll-based jutsu of sealing was triggered. He slid his feet apart and sighed, humoring me. "We'll fight, if you feel compelled."

It was dark in the small underground cavern and the red and white mask restricted my vision.

_Coccinellidae,_ Shiki had said. Daddy, you look like a ladybug.

I didn't hesitate before taking the mask off with one splayed hand and getting it out of the way, skipping and skittering into the shadows. This was _not_ a fight between an ANBU and an assassin. The stiff body armor was like a second skin, only noticeable when my breathing opened hollows under it.

My right arm reached up and back, and the katana came out of the well-oiled holder without a sound.

Gyo stepped forward and straightened his legs, arms hanging loosely and carelessly at his side, lax and defenseless and unprepared for an attack.

They taught this at academy. Give the Enemy an opening, but make sure you know _exactly_ what that opening is. Lure him wherever you want him and then strike.

A small platoon of kikaichu chewed their way out of my heel, where the black sandals left a gap. I would have to rethink my battle strategy; my arms were fully exposed and my legs and torso covered too snugly for a single kikai to escape. There could be no cannon-like effect as my jacket created, hiding the kikaichu until there were enough outside to strike.

He would be able to tell. We could both see well enough in the pale, weak half-light.

The kikaichu scuttled along the concrete floor, clicking to each other too softly to be heard by a human. They were going around Gyo in a wide, circuitous path, wandering toward my son and their own relations inside of him.

I wouldn't move first. I was replaying the short battle I had observed four years ago. He was a weapons-summoner, like Tenten. But I hadn't sparred Tenten – or even seen her in action – since before I made jounin. And after the battle it had been out altogether.

He clicked his tongue against his teeth and moved too quickly. He seemed to have grown an extra arm; suddenly he was halfway through a major summons jutsu and a blizzard of senbon needles were flying at me.

I cut them down with the katana, and they split easily. Wooden. Probably poison; wood soaked up and stored liquids more effectively than metal. The halves spun away harmlessly. But then, I was immune or resistant to most common poisons, and he didn't know –

He knew. I was poisoned on the mission in Bujitaihei, he had been there when it took thirty-six hours for my body to react as it should have within ten minutes. He knew that the kikaichu made me more confident, less attentive to minor injuries that healed within seconds because of the kikai inside my body.

He was a _proctor in the jounin exam_. He had had access to my file, my records, the transcript that Jata had written. He had come here knowing that I would fight him, because he had my son. He was prepared.

I had seen him pitched against Kiba for a five-minute match in which he was forbidden to kill.

_Fuck_.

No. Now that I had leapt that far, there was a horizon; If he thought he knew my style so well, he would be less careful, he would expect my attacks. There is a danger in knowing your opponent's attacks before he does, because then he might not have been informed of his own plans.

I just had to actively battle a traitorous Konoha shinobi while second-guessing my entire, bred-in-the-bones fighting instincts.

The floor was disappearing under my feet, and my katana aimed for the vulnerable underside of Gyo's chin, but failing that I would settle for cutting a few tendons in his right arm –

– Was he right or left-handed? –

– and then I would dodge whatever he was pulling out of that scroll –

– A _kwandao_? Long shaft, wicked blade, eight-foot reach, designed specially to disarm the opponent from a distance –

– and there went the standard-issue katana, torn from my hand and arcing in the air toward some distance wall where it clattered and fell.

We both paused, the kwandao parallel to the floor and making a bridge. I was out of its range.

He slowly swung it down at a diagonal and behind and up over his shoulder, building momentum because it was impossible to fight at shinobi speeds with such a heavy, difficult weapon.

I could get inside it easily and _he knew that, _he was a weapons-summoner, of _course_ he knew every advantage of every weapon he would use, he knew _exactly_ where his opening was.

I couldn't fight like Aburame Shino; therefore, I had to fight like someone else. Worse than the second-skin of the armor, harder to assume and maintain. I didn't know any other way to fight.

No one's fighting style was suited to this. Tenten won almost every sparring match, by dint of turning every target into a pincushion…

…But Kiba had won.

I cast a genjutsu to change my appearance to Kiba's. Somewhere behind him, the hundred or so kikaichu near Shiki took the chakra I fed them and grew to resemble the hulking mass of Akamaru. It was automatic; I hadn't considered it for more than the time it took to run through my mind. My stance changed to Kiba's standard one, a hip thrust out and my weight shifting eagerly.

Gyo, very little more than a white face and uneven yellow stalks of hair, rolled his eyes. "Right, Aburame, as though I'm going to fall for that."

Kiba. I knew how Kiba spoke and acted. I growled derisively, "You think I wasn't mimicking _Shino_? Goddamn, I've know the guy longer than you've been fucking Kumo on your days off."

The disbelieving grin vanished and he snarled, "You aren't going to fool me. Aburame wouldn't just leave his son here."

"He didn't. I'm here to get him back."

"As though he would trust something like _this_ to someone like _you_."

"Why wouldn't he?" I was watching the short blade of the kwandao. It was slowing in its path, describing smaller and smaller circles in the air. Gyo was distracted.

"_Because he doesn't care about you_." Gyo, despite his claims, apparently did believe, if he was trying to attack Kiba at an emotional level. "I've read his file. Married five years, one son, one father. No major emotional attachment to any of them. It's just a rock-solid sense of duty. The guy's a fucking wasteland."

I judged my timing and tried not to hear Father's voice. _You were raised to obey my orders and maintain a distance from all others._

"I've been with him for years. Of course he cares." Kiba's mannerisms came more easily, the body language training I had done with him returning with practice. Drop the shoulders forward and in, whine slightly, put one foot backwards. Self-doubt.

The false Akamaru growled, like stones rolling against each other.

Gyo moved further from my son, until he could see both of us.

I manipulated my chakra, changed the Kiba-mask I wore to a half-feral one and the Akamaru doppelganger to match me, like Kiba's half-man, half-beast trick.

Gyo had faced this much before. "I've seen your files, too. It doesn't matter." But it did. The long, unwieldy kwandao was useless against two opponents dead set to get inside its range. He would have to choose another.

The clone and I rushed him, switching places back and forth, sometimes slow enough to see and sometimes too quickly, so that he would think he knew which was real, but he actually wouldn't. Just like Kiba did, except that Kiba did this with his Gatsuuga technique, and that took massive amounts of chakra that I simply couldn't match.

He pulled another scroll from his jounin flak jacket and wiped his blood on it. His thumb was bleeding freely. What he acquired were twin blades, short, ferocious, curved, and flipping through and around his hands.

He watched us coming and shouted brightly, "There's a very simple test – to see which you are!"

I was upon him, kunai in either hand aimed for the muscles in his shoulders to disable his arms. The right one sank in and struck home, the left one glanced off as his right arm moved. He was right-handed, after all…

A cold, burning sunrise of pain grew in my side, and then something popped loudly and I was out of breath as if I had just run too far too fast.

Armor is an interesting thing. It is designed, as is everything with a curve, to displace weight and pressure. A sword will not only slide away and find no purchase, but the force of the strike will not shatter the shielding material because the power was absorbed by the entire structure at once, like an eggshell. However, if pressure is applied to a single point, the material will be pierced.

For example, a concealed kunai going through armor and the fifth and sixth ribs and puncturing a lung.

The kikaichu clone was a few steps behind me, and the kunai was exchanged for the short sword and the clone was slashed. There was a short rain of round, hard kikai shells – those still alive crawled into any patch of my skin they could find – and I let the Kiba-henge drop.

Gyo smirked at me, skin bunching under one nostril. "You _are_ Aburame. Well, you've certainly impressed me."

I was half-leaning on his shoulder, and he shrugged me away, hissing at the kunai lodged there. I fell boneless to the ground.

Punctured lung.

Every time I breathed in, my chest was lopsided and there was an ominous sucking, bubbling sound from the wound. My kikaichu were wiggling under and around it, increasing the ache of pressure. As though a building was crushing my chest.

Shiki was twenty yards away. His hand twitched, but he wouldn't be awake for a very long time.

My diaphragm spasmed when I tried not to use it and I thought I felt one of my ribs crack. A black kikai lit on my cheek and burrowed down into my mouth and down again into my tongue. The message it held was: _Shino. Kiba told me. I will retrieve Shiki if you have not._

I closed my eyes. Father. Coming here to save the day…

I opened them. My side still crackled and spat with every shallow breath.

Gyo had somehow jumped to a point halfway between my son and I, and a medikit was open next to him. He was taping a square of white gauze over his shoulder.

I blinked again. My breath was coming more and more slowly. A large clump of kikaichu were fighting to plug the hole in my lung.

Father was standing close enough that I could have touched his leg if I could move my arm. His jacket was missing, and he wore his old ANBU gear.

_Protection_, my mind supplied unsteadily. Kiba must have said something about the weapons-summoning.

Gyo was kneeling next to something pale and limp and threatening something important. I couldn't think.

Hypoxia. Drowning in my own blood. A knot a moving insects, _just right exactly_ where I was in the most pain.

Blink. The world skipped.

Father dodging some projectile weapons and deflecting others to keep them from hitting me.

Blink.

Father and Gyo grappling. I was awed; I had never seen Father so active, even while he trained with me.

Rolling around, one winning and then the other, and then Gyo pulled a overlarge shuriken from _somewhere_ and they broke apart, blood dripping from mouths and shallow cuts and scratches.

…Blink…

The pale and limp pile from before was deposited in front of me, over one useless arm. There was _something very important_ about the fact that it coughed and inched closer to bury its face in my neck.

Father turned away to square off with Gyo again. He was grunting every other second, blood flowing out of a rent in his thigh.

I forced my eyes open, didn't want to

– Blink. The world came into focus with sharp clarity.

There was a small lump that seemed very, very much like a blond head. A few feet away lay its body.

Father was sitting near me, unstrapping the ANBU armor and showing all of the holes in him. I could see his yellowish intestines through the largest of them. His glasses were gone somewhere.

He looked at me and _smiled_. "You're awake."

I coughed and the pain was muted and dull. My chest wasn't lopsided, though my left lung felt less…spongy. The wet sound of air going through a knife-wound in my side had stopped. I bent my arm up at the elbow and it tightened around the warm and alive shoulders of my son. I croaked, "Father."

One hand waved to Gyo's medikit. His voice was thin and uneven. "Your kikaichu had already repaired most of the damage. The traitor wished an exceedingly slow and painful death on you, and it saved your life."

"_You_ saved my life." I could move, now, but even my skin was too heavy to bear. I rolled my torso up until I was sitting, Shiki curled in a ball over my legs. "And his."

He considered this and looked at the steadily oozing hole in his middle. Occasionally, a black spot would surface and then kick its way around, but there didn't seem to be many of Father's kikaichu left. His arms were shaking, barely holding him up. "A fair trade."

I didn't say anything, but stared at him. Anything I could see in the poor light. The dark, bluish shadow of his facial hair, the silver on his head that hadn't been there before now, the color draining out of his skin, the moving black of his _our?_ eyes reduced to flecks of dark on a blind, white canvas. No kikaichu…

…No life.

"Father." What did I plan to say?

He swung his head from side to side slowly, drowsily. "Kiba brought Naruto home. Our home. Not sure why. He told me about – this. Should still be there. There was a small invasion force, no more than two hundred, and their only real focus was to kill Naruto or the Hokage. Everything has calmed down, now; the all-clear went off a few minutes before…" He moved his chin, indicating the decapitated body. Then, by degrees and with dignity, he lowered himself to his elbows and then laid himself out fully on the cold concrete.

"Thank you."

"Worth it. A fair trade," he huffed, looking at me with a dissociated interest.

"No. Thank you. All of this, everything you've done. I regret nothing. _Thank you_."

His throat seized, and he coughed. He repeated, "Worth it."

I was frustrated, because he couldn't possibly have understood what I was trying to push into too few words. "_Father_-"

"I love you, too," he said warmly, with that same smile that was so alien on his face. His pale eyes drifted from my face to Shiki's, and then away to the right somewhere.

In death, his mouth relaxed into something more solemn, as if he had just realized that this was a grave occasion.

I stayed there, down in the dark, with my family.

When I could walk, I went to the ladder and had to leave my son on the floor for a few seconds as I climbed first to move the heavy stone cover out of the way. Then I went down and back up into the sunlight with my son. I began moving through the village, primarily by rooftop and using no stealth techniques at all.

Father was dead…

Some jounins and mostly ANBU ruled the street-level, as shelters disgorged their charges and all civilians needed to be tallied and accounted for.

…That meant that I was the head of the Aburame clan…

Shiki woke when I was within a block of my home, and beamed at me.

"Daddy! Did you save the day?"

"Not me, Shiki. Your grandfather."

"Oh. Where is he?"

…I let my kikaichu run over the raised characters of the nameplate outside the gate. They were no different than ever before, but this time they were undeniably…mine.

* * *

Er. This is the penultimate chapter, you may have guessed. The next is the resolution.. 


	36. Only

This is the last chapter of the official Lies storyline. There will be an epilogue, which will round out the title-sentence-message thing, but this is _it_ on the ShinoKiba score.

Is this a happy ending?... Well, there's a funeral. Does that give you a hint?

* * *

"Ku." 

I stood the back east corner of the Aburame grounds. Many trees grew here, lush and alive. The air was still, and there was a thick, flat, constant ambient sound. The buzzing come from insects; not from the buzzing of wings, but the clicking of millions of mandibles. Each tree in the little copse was full with a colony of beetles under the bark.

I looked at the evergreens and the slate gray sky, and touched my chin to my collarbone, sinking into my jacket. A slow, steady trickle of kikaichu made a sinking, moving pile of shiny black shells near my feet. They all very industriously moved soil away from the area I had chosen.

Reluctant to break the relative quiet, I murmured, "Hachi."

When the hole was two feet deep and six feet long, I sent the swarm to the stone plinth. They all joined together, helping each other support the weight of Aburame Shibi.

The cloud carried Father to the grave they had dug and laid him down.

I looked down at him. His glasses were missing, and his eyes seemed too small for his face.

"Nana."

According to tradition, I reflected upon my memories.

His half-amused expression that he wore when I mastered a new jutsu in my academy days, or when I asked him how a father should act.

His stern voice, training me to be succinct and sure of my words.

_"Was I an acceptable father?"_ Was I an acceptable son?

_"I love you, too."_

Father.

"Roku."

I pushed the soil over him by hand. It was warmer than the air, and covered him slowly, inch by inch. The earth wouldn't level, but became a short, wide mound.

"Go."

I hollowed out a small shaft over where I had marked his chest. I stood, walked a short way, picked up a thin evergreen sapling, and walked back to the grave. The roots went into the hole I had prepared for them.

I knew that I would return here in a year, when the tree was old enough, and implant a colony beetles. The two species formed a natural symbiotic circle; the tree sheltered the insects from harm and mainlined their primary food source, while the benign beetles warded any harmful invader.

Every other tree had an Aburame shinobi at its roots.

I squared my shoulders and spoke loud enough for the people waiting in a building nearby to hear. "Yon."

This was their cue. People trooped in and arrayed themselves around the freshly turned soil, their faces loose and melancholic. I let them all settle and fidget for a few moments.

"San."

They all stilled, and their eyes unfocused. I assumed that they were appropriately reflecting on Father's life.

There were many faces, but I could only focus on a few.

Tsunade hovered behind Naruto, the evidence of her trials covered by a healthy, young mask.

Hideo stood with Neji, face pale and pressed into his father's leg.

Mira, crying behind black lenses, our son's hand secured in one of hers.

Shiki, lower lip jutting forward and sunglasses staring at me.

Kiba, on my left, not looking at me or even, strictly speaking, touching me. I could detect his body heat, even through my thick jacket.

After a long moment, I said, "Ni."

They left, careful not to step near the fresh earth or jostle the new sapling. Hideo resisted the movement, and Hinata took her son into her arms in a fluid motion.

I was left alone with Father's grave.

_My_ father's grave.

I said, "Ichi," and then, "Goodbye."

And then I walked away to join the others.

* * *

They were all inside the reception room, talking quietly amongst themselves. When I stepped inside, every conversation found a lull, and then Kiba touched my elbow to show me that he was there and the guests turned back to their discussions.

"I knew _about_ him for the longest time. You know, like kids know that the guys in masks that you see in the corner of your eye are ANBU and you shouldn't scream when they show up. He was the dad of one of the other students, and I only ever saw him when he came to pick up Shino. I didn't really meet him until right before Mira's wedding. When all the girls slept over. He was…surprising. He let us do whatever we wanted, and didn't raise his voice when he asked us to be a little quieter." That was Ino. She was here with Sakura, but talking to Neji Hyuuga.

And Neji said to her: "He was in a cell with my uncle, if I remember correctly. They both had exceptional records."

Hideo was still attached to his father, willing him to continue standing there forever.

Hinata was talking to Naruto. He held her sleeping daughter against his shoulder.

Hinata said, "He was always so…solid. Always there. And no matter that you did, he never said _you should have done better_." She had been stronger than ever before since the attack. I suspected it was to avoid worrying me.

And Naruto said to her: "Yeah. And when he visited us in Bujitaihei, he didn't really…um, talk. But he had an _aura_. Of, like, watchfulness. Ah, and you should've seen him with Shiki. Like he was glass, sometimes, but when the kid was playing… Shibi practically glowed. He said it reminded him of Shino."

Everyone was talking about Father. I caught fragments if I eavesdropped more broadly:

"- I graduated with him, took me ten years just to go inside his house –"

"- Almost never saw his – what're they called? Kika-something. Those insects they've got inside. He never resorted to them, unless there was a poisoning or trap."

"Jeez. Shino must be taking it hard."

"How could you tell the difference?"

I hadn't noticed Tsunade standing to my right. She had a glass in her good hand, and swished the amber drink thoughtfully.

Baru was providing refreshments, I remembered absolutely inconsequentially.

The former Hokage – it had been two days since the attack, and no one had enough gumption to convince her to wait before swearing Naruto in – spoke. "He was exceptional, according to his file. I admit that I didn't know him so well." Her eyes rested on me, and then slid back to where Kiba shadowed me. "But I can see that he raised a good son, who has become a good father." She reflected upon this and snorted, taking a sip and barely waiting for the burn to pass. "You'd think that people would find a better word than _good_ at times like this. Get used to it, though, you'll hear it a few times more before this is done." And then she drifted away into another conversation about Father.

I returned to listening to random comments. They all seemed to be repeating themselves.

Jata was standing in front of me. I hadn't seen her approach, either. Purple eyes bored into mine, willing me to understand whatever she was thinking.

My voice was hoarse from disuse, and it surprised me. Hadn't I spoken at the funeral, so recently? "Jata."

She blinked and glared harder.

I said, "I do not understand."

Her eyes moved slightly, over my shoulder, where Kiba stood quietly looking at the faces of the guests, and then back at me.

When she determined that I could not read her mind, a small, pale hand twisted in the material of my sleeve and yanked me toward the door. When Kiba made to follow, she stomped her foot and pointed authoritatively at the ground and he stayed.

I kept up as I could. She walked briskly, frustrated.

When we had navigated the inner maze of my home and stepped out under the gray sky, she let go of my sleeve and instead dragged my collar down until I stooped to her level.

She put her lips to my ear and _sound came out_. "Love is something bittersweet."

I didn't respond. This was too abrupt and sharp, and her voice was almost a whisper. It was the opposite of a whine; low and solid and sure, but feminine and young. I wasn't prepared for this.

She tugged on my collar again to be sure I was listening. "When you are near your loved person, there is light, and it is _good_. When they smile, it is for you; if it isn't really, you lie to yourself until you believe that it is. But there is an awareness of untruth in it when that is necessary, and the untruth might fade but it _never_ goes away."

She paused in her monologue. I said, "I see."

She pulled, making me sway, but not violently. Her tone became more urgent, trying to force me to know what she meant. "May you never have untruth."

"You are in love with Uchiha Itari," I ventured.

Jata's shoulders tensed and relaxed fatalistically. "She is life. She is light. What choice is left to me?"

"How do you know?"

"I speak and she understands. I do _not_ speak and she understands. She knows me for who and what I am and smiles and tells me that it is _good_ – this skill I have. She says it is good, and then it is not stealing life but a _part_ of life, and her smile brings light to the world."

"Itari does have a talent for brightness."

Her lip curled in something much less than a happy grin. "But her smile is not for me. It is an untruth."

"I'm sorry."

"At least the child needs me," she said dismissively. My knees were beginning to protest the awkward position she held me in. "However, she will not need me forever. And the light Mikoto brings is weaker." She thought a moment and moved her chin down in half a nod. "I will have a child. To watch over Mikoto."

"Congratulations," I said, because they seemed to be in order. And then, because Kiba had influenced me too much, I asked, "Whose?"

She moved her ear fractionally closer to her shoulder, and I saw her trawling through her options. She settled on the most powerful and promising of them. "The blond one. He is similar in disposition; I can tolerate him."

"Naruto? He agreed to this?"

"Not yet."

Her fingers loosened and I stood straight. Each knuckle stretched and worked individually. I wondered if they were stiff. She saw me looking and dropped her hands to her side. "I am an abnormality, Aburame Shino. You should not understand my words. But, if you hear me and understand, then understand this." She paused, and her right hand had a senbon rolling through its fingers very, very quickly. "The Ki-baka loves you. Do not give him untruth."

I asked, "How did you know?"

"I was a proctor in the jounin exams. I observed." The senbon flew up, still flipping, near her ear, and she caught it when it came down. "He is in love with you. Deeply. He draws strength from you and wants you to draw strength from him." Her eyes became considering, searching my face and glasses for whatever she could glean. "As you must do. He is a very stable variable for you, Aburame Shino. He is a pillar on which you stand, as you are for him."

I was silent. My thoughts were turned inward, testing whether I believed her words.

She took a step back, pulling away. "Are you in love with him? I cannot say. That is for you. But the Ki-baka needs something solid, and until he has that everything will be an untruth. Because he will not be _sure_."

She convinced the senbon to vanish in the middle of a complicated pattern, pulled my collar down, pressed her mouth to my cheek, and demanded, "Decide."

She let go and walked away. At the door, she turned on her heel and announced, "Aburame Shibi was a good man. A good shinobi. I am sorry that he is gone. He could hold eye contact with me for the longest of anyone to date." Her palm was shown to me in invitation. "You are welcome to challenge his record."

And then she was gone. When I walked back to the reception room, she was not among the guests.

Apparently, she had done what she intended to do.

Kiba had evidently been waiting for me. He stepped up behind me, shoulders nearly touching, the moment I came in.

I stayed close to the wall and listened again. No one else bothered me, except my son when he waddled over to inform me that he was going to get to spend the night at Mommy's house.

* * *

In time, the guests left. The house was empty and silent and much, much, much too large.

But Kiba was there, standing a few steps behind me. He still didn't speak or disturb me, and I didn't acknowledge his presence.

I went out into the hall. It stretched ahead, and the walls on either side drew in. As I walked, Kiba followed behind.

My fingers brushed along the door to Father's study as I passed it, catching on the valleys and patterns on it. I didn't go in. Baru had spoken with me the day before, made sure that I knew which of the bills were due and when to pay them and how to access Father's accounts which where now, ostensibly, my own.

But that could all be taken care of outside Father's study, and as long as it wasn't necessary, I wouldn't go in without Father on the other side of the door.

We went through the house to my bedroom, which still felt spacious and smelled very faintly of the perfume Mira wore. When Kiba stopped at the threshold, I motioned with one hand that he should come in. He only took two more steps and stayed in front of the wall.

I said, "I've recovered completely, and listed myself on the mission roster once again."

"I heard. The way Naruto's going, though, he'll try to assign anything A- or S-class to himself, to get away from the paperwork Tsunade left him."

I turned to him, surprised that he so naturally took up this topic. He was watching me, the way one assesses a target for attack or defense. "Kiba?"

Kiba's mouth arranged itself in a grin. "What do you remember most about your dad, Shino?"

I looked away again. My jacket wasn't a traditional funeral garment, but it was familiar. As I unzipped it, I tried not to think about his question. Images were returning arbitrarily.

Father's eyes; the reports he was he was always writing, even though he was almost never away on missions; the dust-and-old-paper smell of his study.

"Many things," I answered.

"I figured. He was a 'many things' kinda guy." He watched me doff the jacket, came forward, and risked setting his hand on my shoulder. When I stopped moving but didn't look at him, Kiba sighed, "Damn. You both are."

"Kiba." I put my jacket away in a drawer, when it really made no difference where I set it down in my own room. At length, I finished, "Thank you." –_"All of this, everything you've done." – _"If you had not come, this would have been much more difficult."

"I couldn't just not come. Your dad was cool." He shook his head and laughed, very quietly, not making light but making merry. "I'm gonna remember... Mm. That first day Mira was here, and he pulled me aside to _very sternly_ warn me away from interfering."

I knew what he meant. My match with Mira had been very important, for some reason or another. Arranged since birth, for all intents and purposes. "You were very indignant, at the time."

"Yeah, I get it, I was a dumb teenager. But, the more I think about it, the more I'm certain that..." He paused and snorted softly. "That he knew. Me loving you. All the way back then."

I stared at him. "That was six years ago."

Kiba had retreated, and leaned against the doorjamb. His palms were shown in apology. "Well, I liked you by then. I don't see why it couldn't have been painfully obvious, too. Spread the fun around."

"I had no idea."

"I kinda figured." His hands ran through his hair, showing his frustration, and then he caught himself and dropped them to cross his chest. "Hell, though, I've gotten such shit for it over the years. Itari's surprisingly perceptive, by the by. And our little sister asked me what was going on from the off."

He waited for me to interject with some comment, to carry the conversation. I didn't. This seemed to have more weight than I was prepared to handle.

He dropped his eyes for a moment, but raised them sharply as he finished, "You were pretty much the last to know." He stopped moving, waiting to gauge my reaction.

I came to stand in front of him, and murmured, "I'm sorry that you bore this burden alone. You could have told me."

His face relaxed in shock, and then he passed me on his way to my bed. He fell back onto it, with a deep sound of relaxation. "No. I couldn't have. Usually a _kiss_ is evidence enough of that kind of thing, and you were suddenly engaged, so no matter what I couldn't stop you from marrying her…" An arm fell across his face. "It got complicated. Very, very complicated. So it was easier to let it go, and take it one day at a time."

I walked to where his knees bent, his lower legs dangling off the side of the mattress. "It was hard for you."

He snickered. "At least I had the kissing. That was _fun_, kissing you. And you with no idea what was going on at all, but not complaining because you trusted me." His arm was flung away to stretch out, and he gave me an amused, self-righteous grin. "And, fuck, how Mira _hated_ me. I was kinda quiet about the whole thing, right? And she just rubbed you in my face. Didn't she know I could have killed her with her own hair? _Easily_?"

"You wouldn't have done that."

"Don't tell of what I wouldn't have done. I was up in arms, ready to take care of the obstacle once and for all." His eyebrows rose. "Can you guess why I didn't? Why I never laid a hand on her?"

"No."

"Because of you. The little things you did that showed me there was still hope for Us. Like, together, and happy, and all disgustingly sweet like any other couple."

"Disgustingly sweet?"

"Whatever." He pulled himself up and sat on the edge of the bed, arms out behind, propping him up. "It was a goal. 'When we're together' was the utopian hope, the world that was perfect and would never happen except in my head." His eyes wandered to the left wistfully. "When we're together, you'll never wear those damn glasses. When we're together, I'll move in and wake up next to you every day and get to watch you walking around without your coat. When we're together, I'll map out and memorize all your scars, crisscrossing everywhere."

My hands touched both sides of his jaw, and spread out across his cheeks, and tilted his head back. I bent down to kiss him.

His put his hand up in from of my mouth, smiling sadly. "Your glasses," he reminded me.

I wrapped my fingers around his wrist and moved it out of the way and kissed him, glasses and all.

He glared at me, the beginning of betrayal and disappointment obvious. "Shino, did you _have_ to? Those glasses were all I had!"

I explained, "You know me, and understand me, and accept what I am. I draw strength from you and you from me. You are what I am not, and when I am with you I become that small part closer to normal."

"Normal's not even on the horizon," Kiba interrupted reflexively.

I kept going. It seemed that if I said whatever made sense, the rest of the tangle of complicated things would straighten out. "It smells like Mira in this room, but smells fade, and soon it will smell like you. I _want_ it to smell like you."

His breath caught in his throat. He had difficulty when I 'wanted' something. "_Fuck._"

This was becoming steadily easier, and it was perfectly natural to say, "At this point, I assume that I'm in love with you. And if that is true, then I will kiss you with or without my glasses on – all of me. Even the part that others see, as well."

He shut his eyes tightly. His breathing was becoming irregular. "Oh shit, Shino. I swear, if you come back tomorrow and say you're only kidding, I'll kill you. Defenestration times a million." His hand covered mine as it pressed against his face, and the other went to the back of my neck to pull me into another kiss.

"No, Kiba. I won't."

"Good."

It was the first time that day that I heard the word and didn't wish I hadn't.

* * *

Those readers who actually know me outside of Lies would have known that I've been ridiculously pleased with how the funeral came out for the last week, so the funeral hint was that it was, in fact, happy. 

Yay.

Happy Christmas, y'all.


	37. Lies

Er. Epilogue.

Happy anniversary, Adi88.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set when Chiro touched each of us with her chakra to stop our fast-paced travel through the forest. Konoha was less than one mile away. The mission had gone unexpectedly well, without so much as a scratch. Of course, we were ANBU – it was nothing to brag about, really. 

My sandals touched the bark of a thick branch and I stopped. There stood Captain, her curling red hair in a tight knot at the back of her head. Hyuuga Hime, another in our cell, sometimes wore her dark hair this way, but not often, despite how flattering it was to her neck.

Chiro said, "Shiki-kun, how much would you like to bet that Uchiha-chan overshot us in her enthusiasm?"

I moved a hand in a dismissive gesture and shrugged. My shoulders dragged the blue ANBU body armor up and down, the padded cloth beneath it conforming to allow for the movement. "She always does, Captain. But Hime should be –" I extended my right arm, hand up, and it was taken immediately, "–right here."

I looked at Hime, who was blushing prettily and tightening her hold on my hand. Because of various physical discrepancies, her body armor was shaped differently, but she wore the same uniform as Chirohi and me. Her dark indigo hair was in a long braid down her back. Nacreous eyes wouldn't meet mine, so they settled on a point near my chin. She murmured, "Thank you…for steadying me, Shiki-kun."

I touched the rim of my dark glasses, felt them resettle more comfortably, and nodded. Her hand released mine, and I dropped my arm to my side, automatically tapping my fingers against my thigh holster.

There was a calm, still moment.

I said, "Mikoto-san will definitely have noticed that we stopped by now."

Chiro laughed, somewhat derisively but mostly amused. "Are you sure? She can be sort of thick."

Hime said, "I think that Mikoto-chan is very nice."

Another calm moment.

I said, "And at any moment she will return."

"Indubitably."

"…She's just sort of forgetful sometimes…"

A cloud of black hair wrapped around me, as well as a pair of pale arms. Uchiha Mikoto's clear voice sang, "You guys thought you could trick me, but I'm too smart for you!"

I said, "Mikoto-san, Captain warned us that we would stop."

She leaned around from behind to look me quizzically in the face. "Really? I felt Chiro's chakra thing, but I thought that it was one that meant, 'Oh, lookit, we're almost there.'"

Chiro snorted at her friend. "Do we even _have_ a signal that means something like that?"

Mikoto nodded with certainty. "Yes."

Hime said, "…No, Mikoto-chan, we really don't… That one meant, 'Stop as soon as possible'…"

Mikoto shrugged. "Oh, well. I guess it can't be helped, right? Anyway, let's get back to Konoha so that I can hang out with Kona, okay?"

Chiro shrugged and used the hand motion that ordered us forward at a jogging pace. She said, "Jeez, Mikoto, have some decency. Kona's only fifteen. That's five years' difference."

Mikoto managed to hitch a ride on my back, because she wouldn't let go of my shoulders after I began keeping pace with the others. Wrapping her legs securely around my waist, she said, "She's cute as all get out, though. And she's got a pretty laugh. Even though she's so young, she's trying to get promoted to ANBU – her mom, Jata, was already in _my_ mom's cell when she was Kona's age. Nifty, right?"

I said, "She does not speak, Mikoto-san."

I felt various parts of her shift against my back as she shrugged. "Not to _you_, maybe, but we've been bestest friends practically since she was born."

"You're still twenty. Aburame's nineteen. The youngest here is Hime-chan, and she's married already. A kid like Kona wouldn't fit in with an ANBU cell," Chiro said. We were fast approaching the East Gate.

Hime said, "Kona-chan is just protective."

I reminded her, "At the age of seven, she found out that Mikoto-san's pet cat had scratched her owner and masterminded a highly enthusiastic plan of revenge."

"Oh, hey, I remember that. I liked that kitty, too. She apologized later. Kind of. I mean, after they found most of the pieces and I made her confess."

We reached the Gate. Mikoto helpfully volunteered to dismount, and then announced that we were all going to celebrate. Celebration meant alcoholic beverages.

As Mikoto directed us down the empty streets – it was closer to night than to day by now – Chiro said, "Alright, that's a no. I'm tired, chickadee. I'm going to go home and sleep. I expect all of you to turn out bright and early for some fun _field signals_ training tomorrow." Her words were very pointed.

Mikoto waved her hand. "Yeah, sure, I heard you the first time."

"I didn't say it twice!" Chiro called, and then shook her head and walked away.

While we walked toward one of the less-frequented establishments near us, Hime asked Mikoto, "What is your relation to Captain? I know that you told me once, but… I forgot… Sorry…"

Mikoto smiled. "Well, her mom was KIA while assigned to my mom's cell. A couple of years after that, her dad... was also killed. You know, in that whole 'Let's stop the Sixth from becoming the Sixth' party. Anyway, Chirohi's uncle ended up raising her, who was also in Mom's cell, and they were all hunky-dory friends and now he's like an uncle to me and she's a cousin. Or something."

I volunteered, "I trained with her occasionally. Once a month, usually, after Mother became close with her guardian."

Mikoto pointed out, "They weren't close, they were _dating_."

"Only for a year. Then, complicated legal events occurred and they were married." I didn't care one way or another for Soro. I had been ten years old by then, and focused more on Mother and Nyoko on the one day I saw them in a week. "Captain had already made chuunin by then."

"Are you and Captain just like you and Kona-san?" Hime asked Mikoto, trying to stay above water in the conversation.

Mikoto considered it for a moment, studying the stars with eyes that flashed red for a moment with her father's blood trait. "No," she said with certainty. "The relationship isn't exactly the same. First off, she kills anything that hurts me, and that frankly makes me hot for her. Second, she trusts me to be her mouthpiece. Third… well, she's the daughter of the Sixth Hokage, right? Everyone treats her with this really weird sort of deference or something, and all it gets her are some gifts and no friends."

I asked, "You are her only friend, and no one else?"

"I think that maybe you and Hime-chan count as friends. Maybe. Don't push it, because she doesn't really think in the same terms as a lot of other people."

But by then we were at the door of a small, familiar bar, and Mikoto pushed the door open with nothing short of blissful relief.

The rest was as it always was; a few cups of sake, deflecting Mikoto's advances, carefully talking at Kona and judging her responses by her body language. Usually, I also controlled Hime's intake, but tonight she ordered tea and wouldn't take alcohol.

And, when it was done, Hime and I walked home. Her hand found mine again, and the sake I had drunk kept me warm.

Just as I judged it became midnight, Hime spoke. "Shiki… um."

"Hime."

Her neck gracefully curved in an arch, and her chin dipped down. Her hand slipped away from mine, and rubbed nervously at her stomach. "I have to…tell you…"

"I'm listening," I said. My hand settled on the back of her neck and squeezed once, to reassure her.

"Um. Shiki… I love you."

"I love you, too," I answered, just as I always did. This was how she prefaced major announcements that she thought I might not appreciate.

"And…it's very important that I tell you…" She drifted off again, voice disappearing in a whisper.

"I won't be angry," I promised softly, looking up at the sky and not at her.

"IthinkI'mpregnant," she breathed all at once.

I stopped walking. My hand on her neck made her stop, as well. Her face drew up in a cringe.

"Really?"

"Yes. Yes. I… I told my mother, because she was the one to take me to the hospital. But other than her, you're the first to know, because I didn't know how you would take it."

I swallowed. My mouth had suddenly gone dry. "I-" my voice broke, and I tried again. "I'm glad. Very glad. Hime, I can't even say it – I love you. I'm in love with you. This is wonderful news."

The tension washed out of her, and her shoulder leaned into mine. I put an arm around her back and turned my face into her scalp, pressing kisses into her hair.

"I'm glad, Hime. I love you. Are you happy?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "I'm happy. I've wanted a child."

"I'm glad I married you," I said warmly.

"Y-yes. I am, too."

We walked the rest of the way to our home in comfortable, happy silence.

* * *

When I woke up the next day, my upper arm had a deep bruise from the mission and I was less sure about this whole pregnancy business. 

I pressed a kiss to my wife's cheek and climbed out of our bed. Dressing was automatic, the jacket I wore outside missions and the dark sunglasses that I always kept with me.

Out in the hall, Akata and Maru, the youngest puppies in Akari's canine matriarchy, tumbled past, locked in sibling competition, yipping quietly because they had already learned the fate of anything daring enough to disturb the early morning quiet of the Aburame home.

Kiba-jii-chan stuck his head out from the receiving room. "Hey, pup. Sleep well?" He was forty years old, still on active duty as the Hokage's guard with Father. Considering Naruto-jii-chan's penchant for finding the most difficult missions to escape from his paperwork, they were a step above ANBU.

Kiba-jii-chan was a permanent fixture in our household. He was here in the morning more often than not, and stayed late. Technically, he had a tent on Inuzuka grounds – I had held a few overnight birthday parties there when I was younger – but he rarely used it. Mostly, it was guarded by his dog partner, Unari, at night.

There was a chunk of hair missing behind his left ear, and a ring of jagged ninja-wire scars around his neck, but he hadn't fared too badly, considering his career.

"Until I woke up," I answered, stepping inside the room after him. Old Baru-baa-san had served breakfast, eggs and ham arranged brightly to greet the day. Kiba-jii-chan was putting together a plate for me, and I sat down at the table as he went back to his seat.

"Your mission go okay?" he asked with a nonchalance condition after too many bad answers.

"No casualties."

He laughed, deep in his chest. "You're just like your dad, do you know that?"

"Is Father awake?"

"Yeah." He took a piece of meat and chewed vigorously before explaining, "He's in that damn study, spell-checking my report from two days ago. Bastard."

"If you improved your grammar, I'm sure it wouldn't be necessary," I replied automatically.

"Yeah, sure. Smartass." He winked at me, and shoveled some more food in his mouth.

I looked at my meal and came to a decision. "Kiba-jii-chan. There's something you should know. About Hime."

He looked up from his plate, egg yolk visible at the corner of his mouth. "Mm? Is the little dear wounded, or something?"

"In fact, she's pregnant."

He cocked his head to the side, and his eyes drifted to my right. And then he snapped back to himself and swallowed. "Sorry. Déjà vu. Pregnant, you say?"

"Hinata-kaa-san already knows."

"Cool." He put his hands on either side of the table and leaned towards me, eyeing me speculatively. "That's cool, right?"

"Yes," I said, because it was, but it wasn't the pregnancy itself that was giving me misgivings. "Kiba-jii-chan, can I ask your advice?"

"Sure, kiddo. I've been around for all the other awkward questions."

"How should a father act?"

"Mmhmm," he said, and stood up. When he motioned that I should do the same, I abandoned my food and did so. We went out into the hall. "Right. I hear you. I know just where you're coming from."

He put his hands on my shoulders and marched me up the hall, through the door at the end, and shut the door with, "I know just who you should ask, in fact.

Father looked up from the scrolls in front of him. "Shiki." His black-and-silver hair was wild and unmanageable, like mine and his sunglasses were round, as they had always been. His body was covered in small, uneven, white scars from his kikaichu to the neck, but he didn't have any major scarring, unlike Kiba-jii-chan. His mouth was set in a surprised, early-morning frown.

"Father. Good morning," I said, keeping near the door.

"What was Kiba babbling about?" He extended a hand toward the chair in front of his desk. I sat down. He stared at me, all of his observant attention focused on me.

"Father." I cleared my throat, shifted in my seat. "I asked Kiba-jii-chan for advice, but he referred me here."

He looked at the door for a long moment. We could both feel Kiba-jii-chan's familiar chakra, hovering there.

Father said, with a flat, patient voice that I recognized as the beginnings of irritation, "Kiba. I love you, but I will not tolerate you eavesdropping on matters that will stay between my son and me."

Kiba-jii-chan grumbled something like 'I love you' back, and slinked away.

"Father… My question isn't urgent. I'll go." I began to push myself out of my chair.

He waved his hand, ordering me back down. "I know what your question is. We will address it now."

"How do you know?"

He lifted his head from the scroll he had begun to skim. Offhandedly, he explained, "I keep a kikai on Kiba's person. It informs me if and when he has a conversation with certain flagged words."

A morbid curiosity overcame me. "What words were flagged in my conversation with Kiba-jii-chan?"

His voice became grave. "The fact that you asked Kiba for advice."

"Oh."

"Your question."

"You already know it."

He leaned back in his chair, linked his fingers, set his elbows on the armrests. "There is a value in the asking."

I sat back, as well, trying to be as calm about this as Father was. "Father. My wife is pregnant."

"Really. Congratulations," he said, feigning surprise for my benefit.

"And I would like to ask your advice," I went on, quickly tiring of this little farce.

"Do tell."

"How should a father act?"

Father seemed deeply amused by the entire situation. It made me nervous. "Shiki. When did you find out about the pregnancy?"

"Last night. Late."

"How much of this self-doubt is panic?"

I frowned. "Some part, but I still can't think of the proper behavior, regardless."

His inner entertainment with the situation only grew. "Fatherhood isn't a thing you can learn without experiencing it."

"But – what if I make a mistake? It's an entire human life."

He moved his fingers, dismissing my words. "Konoha regularly trusts you with human deaths. I don't see why you shouldn't be able to guide a person through life."

"The two are slightly different, Father."

"They're _very_ different. But you'll be able to handle both."

I frowned, and shifted in my seat again. I wasn't going to say, 'But what if…' like a genin fresh out of Academy.

Father watched me squirm, and brought his hand up to his ear, and pulled off his dark glasses, one side at a time.

I stared.

I had never seen Father's eyes before.

They were different from mine, of course. I had known all my life that most people did not have two different eye colors. But it was still so similar – how many other people in the world had moving black in their eyes? – and I had never seen Father's eyes. Ever.

I pulled my glasses off, too, because there was nothing else for me to do.

Father looked first at my right eye, black as his kikai, and then at my left, tan, like Mother's. And he smiled.

"I haven't seen your eyes since you were young," he said thoughtfully. "The light in them hasn't died."

I wanted to look away, but it was hard, and he was staring at me with the same intensity he focused on everything else in his life.

At length, he asked, very seriously, "Have I been a good father?"

I swallowed. And didn't know how to answer. What could anyone say to a question like that? That depended on… "Was I a good son?"

He did more than smile. He grinned. His teeth showed. And then he sounded as though he were quoting someone. "I see we understand each other."

His glasses went back on and so did mine. I didn't know where we stood with each other, but it felt closer than before.

He watched me a few seconds longer, and then bent to the reports on his desk. I felt that I should go, but he hadn't excused me.

When I was half through standing up, Father said, "Stay," and then, "Can I help you, Kiba?"

Kiba-jii-chan's hair appeared outside the window that was half-covered by stacked books and scrolls, and then it pulled back and he fell in, feet first, grinning and unashamed. "Nope. I'm good. You know how touching family moments really do it for me."

Father frowned at him, irritated, but not angry. "Kiba. Does privacy count for nothing?"

He laughed from his gut. "Have you _met_ my family, Shino? Because, in a world where everyone can read your body language like a book, there are no secrets, lemme tell you."

He smiled playfully at Father for a few seconds, and then Father just shook his head and looked down. Kiba-jii-chan leaned across the top of the desk, planted one hand on top of Father's, and touched their noses together. It was their compromise, after I turned ten years old and asked them to please stop kissing in front of me.

Kiba-jii-chan stood up straight, and winked at me. "_No_ secrets, pup. Your mate's-"

"Wife," Father corrected.

"Hime's seven weeks along, as far as I can tell. And I could tell before she could. I'm the one that suggested she see a doctor to confirm it."

"Seven weeks?" I repeated. Well, that wasn't disastrous. There were seven months left to prepare.

"Yeah. In twenty-nine weeks, we'll have another little spitfire around here. Finally."

I felt the blood drain from my face. It sounded closer in those terms.

I stood and walked out, even though Father still hadn't excused me. I suspected that he wasn't going to. And then I stepped back inside, where Kiba-jii-chan was now grinning widely at me, and said, "I'm going to tell Mother."

Kiba-jii-chan's mouth flattened out, and then he saluted me sharply, "Godspeed, young warrior," he bade me, and then couldn't keep from laughing hysterically.

I passed Hime in the receiving room, eating breakfast, and she reminded me of Captain's special training. I told her that these were special circumstances, and the training was just remedial for Mikoto anyway.

These were _very_ special circumstances.

* * *

Mother was much more free about her eyes at home, but not around even close friends. There was her husband, Soro, her newly-made-genin daughter, Nyoko, and me, and that was her closest family. 

She bustled around the kitchen, making me tea. The years had ripened her, and now, at forty-four, she was only just starting to descend from the height of her beauty.

Her hair was long and black, but a shock at the front had turned slate gray and she wore it as a mark of her wisdom and years. She painted her lips and eyes enough, but not too much, and chose clothing in colors that reflected proudly on her husband and family.

I had been convinced, for a substantial portion of my childhood, that Mother was the most beautiful woman I would ever see. Up until Hime had gained enough strength to look me in the eye.

Mother sat down with me and asked after my mission, and Father, and the reason for the surprise visit, and how was my wife?

I said, "We have very good news, Mother."

She took a sip of tea, and set down her cup. "Oh? Which 'we' do you mean?"

"Hime and I are expecting a child."

Her eyebrows shot up, and then the corners of her mouth drew up toward her cheekbones. "Shiki, that's excellent news! I'll have to set up a dinner date with the lovely woman. When is she due?"

"About seven months, according to Kiba-jii-chan."

"And let us never question him on matters of smell," she sighed.

I took a sip of Mother's tea. I had always liked it. She never let it steep too long, or served it too hot. It was a very comforting thing.

She watched me for a moment with her tan-kikaichu eyes, fingers twisting the earring in her right ear. She frowned, and set her hand on the table. "Shiki. Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Will you tell me how you found out? About the baby."

It seemed like an odd question, but it was important to her. "We spent an evening with friends, and as we were walking home, Hime explained that she was pregnant."

"And what did you say to her?"

Did she want a direct quote? I hazarded, "I told her that I loved her, and that it was a good thing."

Her frown went away, and she prodded, "You didn't thank her, or something silly like that?"

"No, I didn't," I said, becoming confused.

"Good. That's as it should be."

From the front of the house, we heard the door slam shut, and then a thirteen-year-old girl shouted, "_Mom!_ I hate Hyuuga-sensei!"

Mother winked at me, and called back to her daughter, "I can't make him treat you any better, Nyoko."

She stomped into the kitchen, still grumbling, and saw me. Her black hair was kept back in a French braid, and her eyes were green, like her father's. Her battle outfit was covered in thick mud. "Oh, Shiki! Hey. You wouldn't believe the day I had."

I guessed, "A D-rank mission involving _mud_ and my brother-in-law trying to teach you something _Soro_ showed you ages ago?" I mimicked her habit of emphasizing arbitrary nouns.

My half-sister made a face. "Okay, maybe you would." She crossed to the table and took an apple from the fruit bowl, sat down, and waved it at me. "What about you? No training today?"

"We were just talking about Hime," Mother said primly.

"What about her?"

"You won't know, I think, until you've changed and cleaned up the muddy footprints you just tracked through my house," Mother scolded.

Nyoko sighed and dragged herself out of the chair, the world hanging heavy on her shoulders.

Mother shook her head. "I'll tell her when she's done, darling. You should be with your wife right now."

I nodded, and kissed her on the cheek before leaving from the side door, in case Nyoko tried to hug me with the mud still caked on her clothes.

* * *

That night, at dinner, Kiba-jii-chan was over, again, and we had a celebratory cake, the four of us together. 

"I'm really excited, chick," Kiba-jii-chan said, taking the last bite of his piece. "What do you think? Boy or girl?"

Hime had been bright red since Mikoto, Kona, and Chiro had burst in to congratulate and talk with her after they found out. Now, it simply reached a new height. "Maybe… um, a boy? Maybe. The Aburame family has that trend."

Father, the plate and cake sitting untouched on the table, rumbled, "With your family history, it may even be twins."

Kiba-jii-chan laughed, like he was barking. "Oh, hell, that would be priceless. Can you imagine Shino with _two_ kids underfoot?" His fork hacked off a section of Father's cake and popped it in his mouth. "I mean, yeah, great with kids, but that's just because both parties think the other is a raving lunatic. It's a stalemate that doesn't hold out for long."

I said, "That's not how I remember Father."

"Oh really?" he said, hazel eyes flashing. "Then what, pray tell, do you remember?"

I frowned, and didn't look at Father, though his presence was a stone in my consciousness. "I remember him teaching me to control my kikaichu, and discipline, and to bear the pain of battle and this life."

Kiba-jii-chan's fingers touched Father's wrist, and lingered. "That's not so bad."

"No," I agreed. "It's not."

And that, I reflected, was the kind of moment when we could have taken off our glasses, but that had already happened so maybe these moments, when I felt much closer to Father than usual, would be more frequent from now on.

I certainly hoped they would be.

I would need a great deal of his help in the near future.


	38. Side Story Truth

So. Um, I promised this to at least two people among the reviewers of Lies.

This is Mira's story. It takes place about five years after the last chapter ("Only), not the epilogue ("Lies"). I promised to give her a happy ending.

This isn't the same style as Lies, in that there isn't much of a 'subtext' or 'unspoken knowledge'. Anywhere, really.

Anyway. Please read happily.

* * *

I went out to the village center on a clear, bright day. My home was only a few blocks away from the market, and I enjoyed the simply diversions of makeup and hair and clothes, finding the right combination. Like a puzzle, but without much thought – an absentminded quest for beauty. There was a sense of freedom, indulging myself for the simple choice of buying groceries. 

I settled on my red sundress, light around the chest, but loose and billowy in the skirt to my knees. My hair was fine as it was; I always loved my hair, the feel of a breeze through it.

I frequently imagined myself in the third person, as if in a moving portrait; what expression I was making, how my hair fell. I was an artist; my masterpiece was myself.

I walked along the sidewalk, looking at the sky. In this part of the village, it was easy to pass through a crowd. Shinobi tended to be a bit insubstantial, letting a civilian through almost by instinct.

It was a curious thing. It had been five years since I lived with my husband, and about that long since I developed any lasting friendship. The shinobi knew that I was a civilian, and so disregarded me out of hand. Conversely, I absolutely couldn't tolerate the civilian pathos; it permeated the mind with a self-deprecating, good-natured inferiority complex. In any conversation, I was given the impression that this sort of thing – the killing and dying and pain – wasn't good, no, and the person didn't want to be ninja at all, no, but wouldn't it be a treat if they could jump to the rooftops like that?

It made me feel superior, this vague, unspoken wistfulness. And I resented them. I recognized myself in that attitude; I had had it up until the birth of my son.

I was such a stupid girl, then! Latching onto Shino because I was trained to do it, believing that I understood a shinobi's life.

But I pushed those thoughts away. I was enjoying this day. If I began a circle of blame that always began and ended with me, then the market-day would be ruined.

I picked up an apple from a vendor's stall. It was swollen stiff and red. I spent a few second turning it over in my white fingers, and then I remembered how many people must have done the same thing. I set it back down and chose a few from the back of the pile.

It was a slow process – select, compare, disregard or keep – and I reveled in it.

I stopped at an exotic foods vendor and spotted a food that I hadn't expected to run across. Of course, I knew that pineapples were brought to the market quite frequently, but I hadn't actually tasted since moving out of Bujitaihei. Narame had always kept some on hand.

She'd taught me how to tell if they were ripe. If the top leaf came off easily, that was good, but still buy it if it doesn't and stand it upside down…

I wanted one that was ripe. I intended to fix it for lunch, if I could find it.

The third one I tested passed, and I bought it with a smile.

I had accrued quite a bit of knowledge, over the years. I hadn't realized just how little I understood until an old woman felt compelled to lecture me on why the world was a much better place today that it was yesterday. Until then, I existed in a weepy kind of haze, mourning the 'good times' when there hadn't really been any to begin with.

I was inspecting a tomato when a braid of shockingly red hair sidled into my peripheral vision. It was a young girl of ten or eleven, pretty freckles dripped across pale cheeks. Her green eyes were riveted on the tomato I held, as though she would never want anything more.

I put down the necessary coins and offered it to her. "You'll get yourself killed, sneaking up on people around here."

She looked from my sunglasses to the treat, and I was amazed at the wariness and depth in the green. It reminded me of my Shiki, eight years old and very nearly a man already. She said, not without a child's conceit, "I'd like to see them try. I can beat anyone that challenges me."

I was searching for a diplomatic answer when a man jogged up. "Chiro," he started, as though they both knew he wouldn't really scold her, "What have I told you about bothering highly attractive women?" That last included a wink.

I was taken aback. No one had seriously tried to flirt with me for years. I had assumed that, after twenty-five, the point was moot.

The girl, Chiro, rolled her eyes. "Soro-jii-chan. _Honestly._"

"Honestly yourself. If you're such an adult that you can run off on your own, then run along home, you know?" He tugged gently on the base of her braid and clicked his tongue. "Go on."

She scowled and took a bite of the tomato at him defiantly. She sauntered away, taking her own sweet time.

Soro shook his head, the same red hair catching the light. "Kids these days, you know?" He flashed a smile at me.

I was still startled by all this. New personalities after so long were a shock to the system. "She didn't really do anything wrong."

He tilted his chin up, looked me over speculatively. "No-o. I suppose not. Very strong-willed, our Chiro. Just like her mother, you know?"

My tentative smile crashed to the ground. My voice was barbed. "If you're married, you should _never_ call a woman 'attractive'. Or even_look_ at other women."

He cringed away, shoulders rising defensively. "Okay! Jeez, calm down. I'm not her dad, you know? Not married at all!" He blinked open one green eye – he and Chiro looked exactly alike, even their eyes! – and then cautiously opened the other. He sighed, and ran one hand through his hair. "Look. Chiro's my niece. Her mom was my sister, you know? KIA when Chiro was in diapers, and her dad in the big Sixth assassination attempt. I kinda helped raise the little hellion."

I relaxed very slightly. "You're sure you're not married?"

"Definitely not. Someone would have told me." The smile came back, with a lightning-fast wink. "But, hey! Not I remember where I've seen you before, you know?"

I took a step back. "What?"

"Yeah. No. I was at your wedding, you know?"

"…Oh." Not I might have remembered him. Such red hair.

"Yep."

"You know Shino?"

"Yeah. Kinda. I guess. His group of friends adopted my entire cell, so I guess so, you know?"

I cocked my head to the side. "Are you always so frank?"

He tilted his head to match mine. It reminded me of Shino with our son. "How's that?"

"You've twice explained a situation beyond what you needed to," I said. I may have been teasing, but I was half-serious.

Soro shrugged, and his bright smile relaxed into something more philosophical. "If I don't, people might misunderstand or assume things. I mean, naturally, on missions I know how to lie, or else I'll get dead, you know? But folks mistaking my meaning – I hate it." He blinked at me owlishly, and tried to smile, more sheepishly. "I just – don't like it. You know?"

I breathed out whatever breath had sustained me through his speech. "I can imagine."

Soro looked at the bag I carried over my shoulder, half-full of food. "Oh. You were shopping. And, um, I have stuff to do, arcades to raid in search of errant nieces. You know?"

I nodded, and tucked some black hair behind my ear. "Well, I'm Mira. Aburame Mira."

He gave me a half-smile. "Yes. I know. And I'm Soro."

"I know." He put up his eyebrows, and I explained, "Chiro called you by name."

He nodded in understanding and amusement, winked again, stepped back, and melted into the crowd.

Of course. Another ninja.

* * *

I saw him again, a week later, as I was walking home from lunch with Hinata. Her twins were growing beautifully, Hime following Hideo from room to room and occasionally persuading him to practice a game with her – involving sharp, nonlethal variations of weapons – to improve accuracy. 

I let my feet take me toward my home, and buried my nose in a novel I had borrowed from my friend.

And then Soro was walking in step with me, deliberately scuffing his feet on the ground so that I wouldn't be taken by surprise. He was dressed in standard jounin gear, hands deep in the pockets of his sweatpants. His red hair was flat and spiked with total irregularity, as though he had been sweating and then let it all just dry. Possibly while simultaneously rolling down a hill.

"Hello, Soro," I said, looking at him from the corner of my eyes, but not directly.

"Hi," he said, casually enough. "How are you?"

"Unmolested, so far." I raised my head. "You?" I meant, just as I asked Sakura or Itari, had he been hurt, had any mission gone awry?"

He seemed to understand, and shrugged. "Fine-ish. Pulled a muscle a couple days back, but it's loosening up fine.

I smiled. "How is Chiro?"

"Always busy. Attacks to practice, codes to decipher, tyrannical uncles to thwart."

"She sounds charming."

"She sounds like an ANBU captain at ten," Soro intoned gravely. "Too much time with Itari."

"It's very odd, watching a child turn into an adult. Especially so quickly." I put one finger up in the air, and pointed at nothing. "My Shiki is eight, and he's already so serious that I have to _force_ him to enjoy ice cream with me."

"Right." He clasped his hands together behind his back. "Actually. Um. I wanted to talk to you about something, you know?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"Want to go to dinner with me?" he asked, very quickly.

I stopped, and gaped at him, a few steps ahead. "What?"

"You know." He shrugged not-very-nonchalantly, and didn't look back at me. "A date. _That_ sort of dinner. Where you try to dress at least – well, at least as beautiful as you look just now, casual, because I don't imagine there's that many more levels to go before the scale just explodes. And I'll do my damnedest to be charming." Now he glanced back, sheepishly. "I've been practicing that charming part. Not going so well, you know?"

I stared for a while longer, and then just laughed. "I don't know about that. The babbling _is_ charming, in an adorable sort of way."

A smile dawned. "So is that a yes?"

"Why not?" I said, on an impulse. "When?"

"Tonight. I'll pick you up." He waved, started to leave, debated something with himself, and came back, eyebrows drawn up apologetically. "Sorry. Where do you live?"

I suppressed my laughter this time, and told him, and plans were made.

And I had a date, for the first time in eight years.

And I had absolutely nothing to wear.

* * *

I settled on a knee-length, blue skirt and white blouse, in the end. I spent a longer time on my hair than usual, leaving it part-up, part-down, and rolling the outside sections up, pulling them together in the back, and braiding them in one long line. 

And, by the time he came to my door, I was satisfied with my appearance.

He wore a green shirt that must have been tailored and black neat slacks. His posture was loose and leaning, and his hair was standing in all directions but in a more deliberate way.

He took a long moment to squint at me from toes to forehead, and then shrugged and grinned. "Guess I was wrong about the whole exploding-the-scale thing, you know?"

I smiled and stepped out into the twilight world with him. "You look handsome, Soro."

He stepped one foot back and performed an overly ornate bow. "Hwhy _thank_ you, Your Highness. Shall we away?"

"Where were you thinking for dinner?" I asked, slipping my arm around his near elbow and letting him guide me about.

He hummed low in his throat, and said, "I know a place, you know? Just trust me."

So I did.

Dinner carried well, all about a small restaurant with spicy, exotic foods that we dared each other to eat. Under duress, Soro admitted that he'd wanted to use the nook-and-cranny place for a date since he'd first eaten there.

I asked, "You've used this before?"

He shook his head, took an extra moment to swallow a red thing that made my eyes water sympathetically, and said, "I haven't. This is the first time I've met a woman I thought might be up to it."

"With all the kunoichi you meet?"

"They sort of weird me out, you know? Kinda manly, for being girls. _You_, though, are strong _and_ female. Lucky combination, you know?" He waved his hands and focused his green eyes on a suspicious-looking ball of goo. "Like a…a willow, or something similar."

And thus, we fell into an easy pattern of his off-the-beaten-path compliments and my trying to turn them to jokes.

After that, we fell back to the streets, laughing along the way.

"I didn't think they'd set the entire cake on fire," Soro mused thoughtfully, looking at the black sky.

I had to be careful, because the cobblestones in the village center were a hazard in high heels. "I can't believe they actually felt I had _impugned their honor_ by suggesting they shouldn't!"

"It was perfectly serviceably without flames, you know?" he chimed in dutifully.

I was quiet for a moment, and then I asked, "Soro, can I request a bit of candor?"

"I try my best to keep you from needing to," he said, mildly concerned.

"Why me?" I asked, smiling at the middle distance. My glasses made me half-blind in the night. "I mean, you already know that I've been married and I have a son. You know that I'm a civilian."

Soro shifted his arm in mine. "You got my niece a tomato."

"A sixty-year-old grandmother would do the same for any child."

"Good point. I really need to reevaluate my criteria, you know?" He chuckled dryly. And then he sobered up. "I kinda had a thing for you a while back."

"'A while back'?" I echoed. "How long ago?"

"Um. Kinda." He broke off, embarrassed, and forced himself on. "Kinda your wedding."

I laughed.

He didn't.

I stopped laughing. "You're serious?"

"Would I lie to you?"

"I don't know," I said. "I supposed you wouldn't. But how did – I mean, _why_… at my wedding, of all places?"

"Well, I never really – you know – saw you before them. And I knew pretty much from the off that Shino wasn't the guy for you. The entire ceremony was so stiff and hard, too, _completely_ didn't suit you, you know?"

I pressed my lips together and tasted the lipstick I had reapplied after dinner. "Yes. I know."

His free hand was waving and making grand gestures, and his voice was rising. "And then you cried! It takes a lot to make you cry, you know?" He caught himself, and I thought that he must be blushing, though I couldn't see it in the dark. "Erm. I guess you're that type, I mean."

"I didn't take you for a hopeless romantic," I teased weakly. I stopped walking, and he faced me with that half-amused grin and squared shoulders.

He said cleverly, "I can be, when the fancy strikes."

I peered up at him through my glasses, and asked, "Why didn't you approach me way back then? If you knew that I wouldn't be happy with Shino in the end."

He shrugged. "You were married. I can't really fight against that, you know? Sacred so-and-so, unique and blah. A lowly man like me can't mess with it."

"Oh," I said softly. The air was cold, and the heat coming off him made my skin tingle.

His hand came up and rested on my shoulder, and I set mine on his upper arm. We stood posed this way for a while, and then Soro said, "Can I? You know, do you mind if I…"

I leaned my head back and felt a little silly, torn between puckering my lips and just sort of waiting.

I didn't have to wait long, because then we were kissing. Both his arms settled more comfortably on my back, and held me flush against him.

He didn't try for tongue, which surprised me a little. He straightened back up, and beamed at me, and took my arm again to lead me toward my own home.

"I must admit," I said after a moment of thought. "I've never been kissed quite like that before."

"I sorta get overenthusiastic with crushes, you know?" he said bashfully. "Sorry."

"It wasn't unpleasant," I reassured him. "I enjoyed it, in fact."

"Did you?"

"I did."

He laughed, loud and long, and skipped down the street and rose onto a bench more gracefully than I ever could.

I followed behind, more sedately, and chewed on my over-sensitive lips.

He flung his arms wide, and shouted, "Not a breath shall pass my lips what won't worship you and your softest kiss!"

I giggled shyly, felt like a teenager, and said, "I thought you weren't romantic?"

"Only when the fancy strikes," he repeated.

"And?"

"The fancy struck," he admitted, grinning and hopping down to walk with me. "You're a fancy-striking kind of woman."

I blushed even darker and let him take me home.

This was the start of something.

Maybe something very, very good.

* * *

(**A few months later.**)

* * *

I didn't trust myself not to turn myself around in the forest that the Inuzuka clan called home, so I didn't go in past the gate. Instead, I found a little restaurant and settled for a while with a book, waiting. 

Half an hour passed in quiet and warmth and lazily applying myself to the novel.

And then, "Oh, hi, Mira," he said with false casualness, directly behind me.

I started, set down my book, and tried not to give him a resentful glare for sneaking up. "Kiba."

He watched me for a few seconds, sucking on his sharp canine teeth and letting his eyebrows creep higher. Then, he squinted down the street and indicated an arbitrary direction with a jerk of his head.

I stood up and walked with him, careful to look at the book in my hand or the next patch of ground to put my foot.

He stayed quiet, chin high, hands linked behind his head. And he waited, while we wandered further away from his home and into neutral territory.

Eventually, I said, "You know the shinobi Soro."

Of all the things I could have said, this made him laugh. "Oh, hell, I remember him. Nearly killed me in our first few seconds of acquaintance."

I eyed him, surprised. "Why?"

He shook his head. "He was testing us. Weird guy."

He said 'us' and I remembered the way Shino relaxed around him and how he always knew what Shino was thinking and how that had so utterly crushed me.

But not that was only an old ache, and I exhaled hugely. "I'm in love with him."

Kiba stopped and gaped. I kept walking, half enjoying the reaction and half embarrassed by the admission.

"Just like that?" he asked, suddenly caught up with me again.

My cheeks were starting to color, in a good way. "I've been seeing him a few months."

"Sure. Okay." His tone loosened into blasé acceptance. "Why not."

I nodded, mostly to reassure myself.

We walked in silence a while longer, and then Kiba asked, "Why are you telling _me_ about it?"

I sighed again, and lifted my chin up to match his, He hadn't grown taller since my wedding, but he was still taller than me. "What you said, so long ago. About who was to blame for what happened with Shino."

He frowned, and then looked at the sky. The sun illuminated his hazel eyes as a concerned green. "No one was."

"Yes," I agreed, and marveled at how easy it was to say it. "And I can see that, now."

He gave me a measuring, suspicious once-over, and then beamed. "I'm glad. Mira, that's great!"

I smiled back, and felt tired as a tight, buried knot of everything that had gone wrong melted out of me. It was so abrupt that I felt somewhat dizzy.

And then Kiba's arms – strong, gentle, confident, genuinely happy for the person who had tried to ruin so much of him – moved around my shoulders and his chin touched my ear.

I understood a fraction of what Shino had found in him, and nearly cried, but I was too far past crying.

"I'm really glad. For Soro, too. He kept trying to hit on Jata – you know, before she married Naruto and had that deadpan kid – and it wasn't really more that joking, right?" He squeezed, once, and let me go, and we started walking with our shoulders touching occasionally, companionably. "You'll do well with him."

"He's very straightforward," I offered, and remembered everything else about Soro. He took care of Chiro, scolded her and gave her room to mature into adulthood at the same time. He smiled at the world and smiled at me and didn't begrudge me my own faults.

And, best of all, he didn't treat me like an ignorant civilian.

Kiba was watching me. "Hey," he said, to get my attention. "I like that. The way you're smiling right now. That's how Hinata smiles at Naruto, and Sasuke at Itari."

I tried to suppress my smile, to arrange my face in a less silly, teenage-girl way, but it only grew into full laughter and he laughed with me.

And then he walked me to the street I lived on and nodded at my goodbye.

I felt so, so much better.

I was finally finished with the lies, and it was all because of the one person willing to give me only the truth.

* * *

Holy Jesus God, you guys. 

I'm done with Lies.

For serious, and for good.

There isn't That One Last Thing hanging out on the horizon anymore. This IS that one thing. Now, I owe absolutely nothing to any of the characters, and nothing to the reviewers, and I'm done.

After a year and a half.

And I miss it already. I mean, I already missed the loose, amorphic thing with Shino and Kiba, stretching the universe taut with the Unresolved Sexual Tension and tearing a hole in subspace with all the freaking subtext.

But now the entire universe is gone from my control. Forever.

Aaaawww. I miss Jata...

Thank you for reading, everyone. It's been a blast... you know?

_Shi_no_Ki_ba forever!


End file.
